Legendary Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan has suggested that Mohammad Rizwan or Fakhar Zaman should be considered as the next captain of Pakistan’s white-ball teams, following Babar Azam’s decision to step down from the leadership role.

Younis shared his views during a recent media interaction, emphasizing that this move will allow Babar to focus solely on his batting, benefiting both the player and the Pakistan cricket team.

Babar Azam, who recently announced his resignation as captain of the ODI and T20I formats, stated a desire to focus on his batting without the extra pressure of captaincy.

His decision has prompted debate over who will take up the role. While reports indicate that Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan are the leading contenders, Younis Khan brought Fakhar Zaman's name into the discussion.

During the event, Younis explained that relieving Babar of the captaincy is a positive move. He stated, “Stepping away from the captaincy will be beneficial for Babar Azam. In our culture, we often make the biggest player the captain, which I believe is a mistake. Either Mohammad Rizwan or Fakhar Zaman should be considered for the role.”

Younis also critiqued the traditional approach of assigning captaincy to the star player, highlighting that leadership comes naturally and cannot be forced upon a player. "The problem is sometimes we think that the top player or maybe the star player can become a captain, but it is not like that. Leaders are born, it's not like putting extra pressure or an extra burden on them."

He added that Babar Azam stepping down would not only ease the pressure on him but would also be beneficial for the Pakistan team. "Babar Azam quit, so I think that will be good for him and a benefit for the Pakistan cricket team. I was the first guy last month to suggest to him that if he wanted to play and spend his career the way he had performed in the past, I think it's better for him to play as a player and to perform for the Pakistan team."