![Babar Azam has been going through a rough patch in international cricket [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1793599128671_BabarAzamhasbeengoingthrougharoughpatchininternationalcricket.jpg?type=hq)
Babar Azam has been going through a rough patch in international cricket [Source: AFP]
Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf has advised Babar Azam to avoid playing in the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam tournament, and rather, he wants the out-of-form batter to resort to specialised coaching in the UK or Australia to work on his technical flaw.
In the recently concluded ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka, the Pakistan batter struggled for runs as he could only accumulate 118 runs in five matches, with a strike rate of just 74.21. Pakistan won the tournament, but Babar failed to deliver the goods.
Yousuf wants Babar to opt out of domestic competition
After the tri-series win, Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Afridi confirmed that Babar will play in the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, but Yousuf wants the struggling batter to skip the fixture.
He demanded that the former ODI captain travel to the UK or Australia and work on his technical flaw with a specialised coach.
"I don't think Babar Azam should be playing first-class cricket until he fixes his technical issues through specialised coaching. Struggling in domestic cricket could further harm his confidence and career. Send him to an academy in England or Australia," Yousuf wrote on X.
The former cricketer added that Babar still remains Pakistan’s top batter, and personal coaching could help him revive his sinking career.
"He is still Pakistan's top player, and with the right guidance and a little effort, he can return to his best. I said this four years ago, and nobody listened. Please listen now," he added.
Babar struggling across formats for the last three years
Not in one format, but Babar has been struggling for runs across all three forms of the game (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is).
Since August 2023, he has only scored a solitary ODI century (against Sri Lanka), and in the last three years, he has accumulated 1,015 runs, at an average of just 36.25.
Moreover, in 2026, he averages a mere 30, with a strike rate of 68.84 in ODIs. The trend continues in Tests, where he last scored a century in December 2022, and since then, he has failed to deliver.
He has also been out of the T20I squad, and Yousuf wants the former captain to work on his weaknesses as bowlers have deliberately bowled short-pitched deliveries to send him packing.
