Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has advised current white-ball skipper Babar Azam to take inspiration from Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, particularly in managing his form and workload.

Babar Azam has been under intense scrutiny following a series of poor performances across formats. Pakistan's early exit from both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, combined with a 0-2 series loss to Bangladesh, has amplified the criticism against Babar’s leadership and individual form.

Babar, who scored just 64 runs in four innings during the series against Bangladesh, has been struggling for consistency. The biggest concern for Pakistan is his poor Test form, with Babar failing to register a half-century in his last 16 innings. His last notable Test score was just 39 runs. Pakistan is now gearing up to host England for a three-match Test series starting October 7, with the pressure mounting on Babar to deliver a strong performance.

Speaking at a press event, Younis Khan stressed the importance of Babar focusing on his fitness and work ethic, highlighting how Virat Kohli's decision to step down from captaincy helped him rediscover his form. “Babar needs to focus on his game like Virat Kohli did when he left the captaincy of Team India to concentrate on his batting. Look at Kohli now; he's breaking records worldwide,” said Younis.

Younis also touched upon the burden of expectations placed on Babar. “He has achieved a lot at a young age, but now he needs to decide what’s more important—captaincy or performance. Captaincy is a small thing; what truly matters is performance,” he added. Younis believes Babar has the potential to score more than 15,000 runs if he stays clear of distractions.

Further, Younis Khan criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their poor decision-making in leadership roles, expressing his willingness to offer free training to domestic players if it helps improve Pakistan cricket.