Former Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Mohammad Yousaf, in his latest opinion, stated that he would not like to see Babar Azam instantly playing first-class matches. The former Pakistan cricketer suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) send Azam to England or Australia to work on his batting.

Mohammad Yousaf's comments on Babar Azam came after the final of the recently concluded tri-nation ODI series. Pakistan won the final, defeating the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team, but Azam failed to make a good impression again as he was dismissed for a duck in such a crucial match.

Mohammad Yousaf asks the PCB to consider sending Babar Azam to an academy

Amid Pakistan's recent struggles in international cricket, especially in the ICC events, multiple former cricketers and cricket experts suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board prioritize the domestic tournaments to groom their talents before throwing them directly into the top level of the competition.

Babar Azam, who was once considered a tough competitor of the Indian batting icon Virat Kohli, has been struggling to get runs across the formats. Former Pakistan cricketers suggested that he and the cricket board work on his batting technique to regain his momentum.

Multiple batters showed their class in the final

The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore staged a high-scoring match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on October 31, in the final of the tri-nation series. While the Lankan batters like Kamindu Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake, and for Pakistan, Fakhar Zaman, Saad Baig, and Arafat Minhas set the standard of the match with their high-quality batting, Babar Azam was the only key batter in the match to be dismissed, scoring a single run.

For Mohammad Yousaf, the current batting form of Azam is alarming. The former Pakistan captain, who also worked as a batting coach for the national side, observed the need for specialized coaching to fix Azam's batting technique.

Yousaf felt that with the errors in batting technique, Babar Azam could fail to impress in domestic cricket as well. And if he fails to score significant runs in domestic cricket, that could eventually harm his confidence and career as well.

I don't think Babar Azam should be playing first-class: Mohammad Yousaf

So, to protect the talent, Mohammad Yousaf advised the PCB to consider sending Azam to an academy in one of the leading cricket-playing nations. Yousaf further mentioned in his 'X' post that the batter still has the capability to bounce back and do good for Pakistan. But before that, he may have to address the issues in his batting.

"I don't think Babar Azam should be playing first-class cricket until he fixes his technical issues through specialized coaching. Struggling in domestic cricket could further harm his confidence and career."

"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," Mohammad Yousaf wrote in his 'X' post.

I don't think #BabarAzam should be playing first class cricket until he fixes his technical issues through specialized coaching. Struggling in domestic cricket could further harm his confidence and career. 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 🙏

— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) November 1, 2026