Babar Azam was the reason behind Yousuf's resignation [Source: X]Legendary batter Mohammad Yousuf has labelled serious allegations against Babar Azam, directly holding him responsible for his resignation as the national selector. Mohammad Yousuf, who previously served as Pakistan's batting coach, revealed how he was forced to resign from his position after suggesting dropping Babar Azam from the team due to a persistent lean patch. Hailed for his elegant stroke-play, Babar's form has massively dipped in international cricket in the last few years. The Lahore-born batter went through a torrid phase, which coincided with Yousuf's tenure as the national selector. However, when the former cricketer urged to drop Babar for his poor returns, he didn't find support from the other members of the panel, eventually bidding adieu to his role. Mohammad Yousuf reveals Babar Azam's role in his resignationBabar Azam rose to prominence by racking up truckloads of runs in the initial phase of his career. The right-hander was undoubtedly Pakistan's most valuable player in the late 2010s, prompting the PCB selection committee to appoint him as the captain of the national cricket team. However, like every cricketer, Babar also endured a lean phase, which saw him flop with the bat more often than not. But as his stature had already grown up leaps and bounds by then, the PCB gave him special treatment and persisted with him despite repeated failures. Talking about Mohammad Yousuf, the former captain was appointed as a member of the PCB selection committee in March 2024. Interestingly, it was the same period when Babar Azam used to record shambolic numbers with the bat in international cricket. Although he was still a handy ODI batter, Babar's poor returns in T20Is and Tests forced Yousuf to propose his axing from the Pakistan cricket team. Also read: Pakistan Coach Levels Serious Allegations Against His Players After India MatchIn a recently released podcast, Mohammad Yousuf disclosed how he was cornered for voicing against Babar Azam, inarguably the most prominent name in Pakistan cricket at the moment. As the former batting coach revealed, he wanted Babar to get some time off the game and fine-tune his skills through rigorous grind at the domestic level. However, as he was the biggest cricketing icon in the country, the other members of the selection committee hesitated to drop him, openly opposing Yousuf and declining his suggestion. Therefore, the legendary cricketer stepped down from his role and distanced himself from the administration of Pakistan cricket. "Babar ko bahar kardenge? Babar ko rest karayenge? Aur yeh sab log mere khilaf ho gaye. Toh maine kaha isse behtar hai ke main resign kar deta hun. Babar Azam ki aap dekhenge na main keh raha hun 2-3 saal se technique kharab ho gayi hai. Pichhle 3 saal se koi banda out of form nahi hota. Main yeh baat uss waqt keh raha tha jab main selector tha. Main kehta tha ke issko rest de do, First-Class me bhej do, Academy me aake isski technique me kaam hoga toh wapas aa jayega," Mohammad Yousuf said in the podcast. Salman. @TsMeSalman Muhammad Yousaf said, "I had to resign because of Babar Azam. The moment I suggested resting Babar, everyone suddenly turned against me." Feb 19, 2026, 12:45 AM Babar Azam's torrid run in T20 World Cup 2026Despite being given numerous chances, Babar Azam has yet to step up in the T20 World Cup 2026. While Sahibzada Farhan has led the batters' chart, Babar has disappointed the Men in Green, managing just 66 runs across three innings. His inconsistency even prompted head coach Mike Hesson and captain Agha Salman to promote Shadab Khan against Namibia, as Babar wasn't even sent to bat in the do-or-die contest that Pakistan eventually won by a whopping margin of 102 runs. Also read: Pakistan Coach Levels Serious Allegations Against His Players After India Match
