Mohammad Yousuf Points Out Critical Flaw in Babar Azam

In a candid assessment of Babar Azam’s recent batting woes, Pakistan’s newly appointed batting coach Mohammad Yousuf has shed light on the technical issues plaguing the star cricketer.

Babar’s form has been a hot topic of discussion, especially following his lackluster performance in the Champions Trophy 2025, where Pakistan exited the tournament in the group stages without a single win.

Yousuf pointed out that Babar has not been able to play freely for an extended period, with his last century coming in 2023. The situation was exacerbated when the management decided to promote him as an opener after Saim Ayub was ruled out of the global tournament, adding further pressure on the already struggling batsman.

“Babar’s technique has a problem,” Yousuf explained, highlighting a specific flaw in Babar’s approach against fast bowlers. He noted that Babar often becomes “open-chested” when facing pace, which is not ideal.

A proper batting stance should be sideways before the ball is delivered, and this technical oversight has led to difficulties, particularly when facing deliveries on the middle and off stump. This flaw contributed to Babar accumulating numerous dot balls during his two challenging innings in the Champions Trophy.

Yousuf also addressed Babar’s struggles against spin bowling, stating that the spinners dismissing him are relatively ordinary compared to legends like Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Saqlain Mushtaq, Anil Kumble, or Daniel Vettori. He emphasized that Babar’s inability to play effective sweep shots or venture down the wicket against spinners has left him stuck in his innings, with his footwork often leading him astray.