Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis has shared his views on Babar Azam's recent struggles, saying the pressure of captaining the Test side could be affecting the batter's performance.
Babar, who was once regarded as one of the leading batters in world cricket, has been going through a difficult phase with the bat. His recent dismissals have also added to the concerns surrounding his form.
Younis believes Babar finds it difficult to perform at his best when he is given leadership responsibilities.
The former Pakistan captain added that the additional burden of captaincy could be taking a toll on the batter and argued that Pakistan could be "losing the player" by putting too much responsibility on him.
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"I have seen him as a player. Technically, a very sound player. Very complete and elegant player. As a player, I don't personally see anything wrong with him. But I think with the captaincy pressure, he takes a little too much on himself," said Waqar during an event.
"Whenever he takes this responsibility or is given a responsibility, I don't think he performs that well," he added.
"So I think we are losing a player if we are going to give him this responsibility because he struggles to handle that. You have to be strong as a person, and you have to be really out there and back your players. If you cannot back your players, it's unfair to the players and the job," the 54-year-old concluded.
Babar Azam's Test Captaincy Record
Babar was appointed Pakistan's Test captain in July, replacing Shan Masood, ahead of the team's tours of the West Indies and England.
He had previously led Pakistan in 20 Tests between 2020 and 2023, and Pakistan won 10 Tests, lost six and drew four under his leadership.
After returning to the captaincy duties, the 31-year-old helped Pakistan draw their Test series against the West Indies 1-1. He was also named Player of the Series after scoring 193 runs, including two half-centuries.
However, Pakistan's tour of England was a kind of disaster for the team and the country, with the side suffering a 3-0 Test series whitewash on the cricket field. Several off-field incidents also made headlines during the series.
Although Babar did not play the first Test of the series due to a finger injury he suffered in the Caribbean, the injury was aggravated during a practice match ahead of the opening Test in England
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Pakistan Penalised For Slow Over-Rate
Pakistan's problems were compounded by sanctions for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third and final Test against England in Birmingham.
The team was found to be 11 overs short of the required rate after time allowances were taken into account. Pakistan were subsequently fined 50% of their match fee and deducted 11 points from the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.
The penalty has pushed Pakistan further down the World Test Championship standings. The team now sits ninth with a points percentage of 4.63.
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