Younis Khan supports Babar Azam's decision to resign as captain
What's the story
Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has shown his support for Babar Azam's recent choice to resign from the captaincy. Khan believes this move will be advantageous for Babar. He also suggested left-hand batter Fakhar Zaman, and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as potential successors. "In our culture, we often make the biggest player the captain, which I believe is a mistake," said Younis during a media briefing at the Adelaide Oval.
Resignation details
Babar Azam's resignation and future focus
Babar announced his resignation from white-ball captaincy on Tuesday to focus on his playing performance and personal growth. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reappointed him as captain for T20I and ODIs on March 31. This came after he had stepped down from the Test captaincy in November 2023, marking the end of his long-term leadership role.
Team outlook
Younis Khan's views on Pakistan's cricket prospects
During a media briefing at The Oval, Younis, honored with a South Australia Redbacks cap by Mark Cosgrove, discussed his thoughts on the future of Pakistan's cricket. He expressed hope for the team's performance in Australia and highlighted the need for improved decision-making in team selection. "I hope the Pakistan men's cricket team performs well in Australia," he stated.
Upcoming event
Younis Khan to participate in Australian summer cricket festival
Younis is set to join the Australian Summer Cricket Festival in Melbourne on October 5. He will join prominent Australian cricketers like Glenn Maxwell and Jake Fraser-McGurk at this event, which aims to celebrate cricket and showcase talent. Meanwhile, the PCB has not yet announced who will replace Babar Azam as Pakistan's captain.
Career
Babar's white-ball career stats as team captain
As per ESPNcricinfo, Babar owns 2,370 runs in 43 ODIs, averaging 60.76 as captain. He has slammed 8 hundreds and 17 fifties. In T20Is Babar owns 2,642 runs in 85 matches as captain at 37.74, including three hundreds and 23 fifties. His highest score is 122. Babar led Pakistan in 43 ODIs, winning 26 and losing 15 (tied 1, NR 1). In T20Is, he won 48 out of 85 matches, losing 29 (tied 1, NR 7).