Pakistan’s falling standards have been a point of discussion in the cricketing world. According to former captain Mohammad Yousuf, the decline started after their historic 10-wicket win over India in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
That success created arrogance within the team, Mohammad Yousuf says. Players started to believe that no opponent was stronger, and discipline slowly weakened.
Mohammad Yousuf claims some players ignored coaches’ guidance. Yousuf compared this attitude with that of earlier generations, such as Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saeed Anwar. They also remained humble despite great success and always respected coaching advice.
“Everyone started being disrespectful. While the head coach spoke, players either looked at their phones or got distracted. It all started after that match. This is never a good thing for any player. You need to be grounded,” the former Pakistan player told How Does It Work? Podcast.
Mohammad Yousuf on Babar Azam
During the same discussion, Yousuf criticised Babar Azam’s batting technique. He argued that, while people argued he was out of form, it wasn’t possible for a player to remain ‘out of form’ for three years. According to him, the lack of big scores shows a deeper technical issue.
“His technique has deteriorated. A player isn’t typically “out of form” for three years; that usually only lasts for a few series. While some say he is just going through a rough patch lately, the reality is he hasn’t been scoring significant runs for three years,” he said.
Yousuf revealed that, during his time as a selector, he advised giving Babar Azam a break from international cricket. He wanted the former Pakistan captain to play first-class matches or train at the academy.
The suggestion drew strong criticism, leading to his resignation. He maintained that his advice was meant to help both Babar’s career and Pakistan cricket’s future stability.
“People turned against me for suggesting he be rested, so I felt it was better to resign. Eventually, they dropped him from the Test team for a series. My suggestions were always for the betterment of Babar and Pakistan cricket,” he added.
Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli
After the T20 World Cup in Dubai, many felt Pakistan had built a strong core of players, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan. Yousuf was asked if they would be called legends if they retired today.
Yousuf says Pakistan has only a few real legends, such as Hanif Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq, because they performed consistently in multiple formats. According to him, true legend status is based on performances in Test cricket and traditional ODIs.
“Players like Joe Root, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli fit that category. Kohli, for instance, plays match-winning innings in big games. We wanted Babar to do the same: to perform against big teams and take the match away from the opposition, just as Kohli did in the last World Cup final,” he said.
According to Yousuf, the idea of “mindset” is often exaggerated. Without strong technical skills, a mindset alone cannot help.
View T&C
Please wait a moment.
