Send Babar Azam to England, Australia to revive his form, urges Mohammad Yousuf

Mohammad Yousuf has urged Babar Azam to travel to England or Australia for specialised coaching to fix his technical issues, warning that a return to domestic cricket could further dent his confidence.Babar Azam failed in the ODI tri series in Pakistan. Courtesy: ReutersNew Delhi,Nov 1, 2026 20:22 ISTFormer Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has urged Babar Azam to travel to England or Australia and work with specialist coaches to address the technical issues affecting his batting. Yousuf believes the former Pakistan skipper should not return to first-class cricket until he has worked on his technique, warning that further struggles in domestic cricket could damage his confidence and career.The former batter shared his views on social media after Babar endured another disappointing outing in the ODI tri-series final against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Pakistan went on to win the tournament, but Babar was dismissed for a duck in the title clash.“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,” Yousuf wrote on X.“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. Yousuf's advice comes even as Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has indicated that Babar is set to return to domestic first-class cricket. Speaking after the tri-series final, Shaheen said the batter would feature in a match against his side in the coming days.BABAR'S STRUGGLES IN ODI TRI-SERIESBabar endured a difficult campaign in the five-match tournament, managing just 118 runs at an average of 23.60 and a strike rate of 74.21. He failed to register a half-century, with scores of 45, 34, 10, 29 and a duck in the final against Sri Lanka. His lean run has raised fresh questions about his form and technique, with Yousuf believing that specialised coaching, rather than immediate exposure to domestic cricket, is the way forward.Babar's next assignment is expected to be the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he is scheduled to turn out for Lahore Whites against Shaheen's FATA side on November 3 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He is also set to lead Pakistan in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning on November 9.- Ends