‘Babar Azam struggles to handle captaincy’: Waqar Younis warns ‘we are losing players’

Pakistan’s Babar Azam leaves the field (AP photo) Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis believes the decision to re-instate Babar Azam as Test captain could hurt the batsman’s performances, saying the team risks “losing a player” by placing the burden of leadership on him.Waqar, who has served in several coaching roles in the Pakistan men’s team, said Babar is a technically sound batsman but seems to struggle when the added responsibility of captaincy comes his way. He also suggested that Babar’s inability to fully support his teammates under pressure makes the role unfair to both the players and the captain himself.“I have seen him as a player. Technically a very solid player. A very complete and classy player. I personally don’t see anything wrong with him as a player. But I think with the pressure of captaincy he takes a bit too much on himself. Whenever he takes that responsibility or is given that responsibility, I don’t think he performs that well,” Waqar said during the event.“So I think we’re losing players if we give him that responsibility because he’s struggling to cope. You have to be strong as a person and you have to really be out there supporting your players. If you can’t support your players, it’s unfair to the players and unfair to the job,” he added.Waqar’s remarks came shortly after Pakistan suffered a 3-0 defeat against England in the three-Test series.The series was overshadowed by a major upheaval in the Pakistani camp. After Pakistan went down 0–2, the Pakistan Cricket Board sent home seven players and two coaches ahead of the final Test.Babar also found himself at the center of criticism after he revealed ahead of the third Test that he was not consulted on the decision by the Mohsin Naqvi-led board.The comment drew criticism from former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who questioned Babar for not standing by his team.Babar returned to the Test captaincy earlier this year after Shan Masood was recalled from the position following Pakistan’s 2-0 series defeat against Bangladesh.

Babar is still waiting for a Test century

Babar’s recent struggles with the bat have added another layer to the debate over his leadership role.The 31-year-old has now gone nearly four years without a Test century. His last hundred in the format came against New Zealand in December 2022.He came close to ending the drought against the West Indies and again in the third and final Test against England, but missed out on both occasions after being dismissed.Pakistan’s recent results have also left them ninth in the Test World Cup standings with four points. The team was further penalized with an 11-point deduction for a slow rematch in the third Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.