Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam on Sunday (November 8) stated that he is open to receiving guidance from the country’s legendary batter Mohammad Yousuf, noting that latter has not personally contacted him yet.
Babar is enduring a prolonged lean patch across formats. He recently struggled for runs in the ODI tri-series held in Pakistan, featuring England and Sri Lanka as two other teams.
Amid Babar’s recently struggles, Yousuf took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this month and suggested that the senior Pakistan batter should temporarily step away from first-class and domestic cricket so that ongoing struggles do not further harm his confidence and career.
Yousuf also urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to send Babar to a specialized cricket academy in England or Australia to fix his technical batting flaws.
"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," Yousuf wrote.
"Send him to an academy in England or Australia. 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.
Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the first Test against Sri Lanka, Babar acknowledged that "the process of learning never ends" and confirmed he would gladly work with Yousuf if the legend reaches out to him directly rather than just via social media.
"As you said, the process of learning never ends. I haven't contacted him yet. I believe he has reached out to people on social media, but not to me. If he contacts me, God willing, I will learn from him. He is a legend and Pakistan's greatest batter," Babar told reporters.
He pushed back against the idea that his dismissals follow a repeated technical pattern, noting that getting out in different ways is an inherent, unavoidable part of the game.
"You can get out at any time and in different ways. It is not necessary that you will always get out in the same pattern or in the same manner. There can be different reasons, but that is part of the game," Babar said.
Rather than blaming external factors or specific patterns, Babar Azam clarified that he holds himself solely accountable for his performances and treats every wicket as his own personal mistake to rectify.
"In my case, whenever I get out, I consider it my fault. It is my responsibility and my shortcomings. Everyone has their own perspective and way of thinking," he remarked.
