‘These coaches are poison for game’: Mohammad Yousuf hits out over Babar Azam’s failures

London, Aug 30 (IANS) Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf has lambasted the “so-called coaches” for not allowing Babar Azam to fix his flaws amidst the continued failures of the Test skipper.

Babar Azam’s lean run of form continues as he is yet to score a Test century since December 2022, although he has come close to a three-figure mark on a few occasions recently.

While the triple-digit mark has eluded Babar, his similar dismissals have hit him with more criticism. The reinstated Pakistan Test skipper fell to his weakness once again during the first innings of the second Test against England as Nasser Hussain, on air, analysed his dismissal pattern from England to West Indies.

Taking note of the analysis, former Pakistan cricketer and batting coach Yousuf came down hard on the coaches for “not allowing” Babar to work on his flaw, which he believed could have easily been overcome.

“A few years ago I warned about this, but unfortunately some so-called coaches around Babar Azam & other players didn’t allow him to work on issues that could have been easily resolved. That failure has dragged Pakistan cricket into the decline we see today,” he wrote in a caption while sharing the video on X.

Yousuf further called those coaches “poison for the game” as he continued lambasting them. “These coaches are poison for the game. They lack vision, they block progress, and they misguide even the most talented players. If our cricketers don’t learn who to listen to, their careers will end far sooner than they should.

“The poor technique of our players has now been brutally exposed from Bangladesh to England. What could have been corrected years ago has instead become a glaring weakness, leaving Pakistan cricket vulnerable and struggling on the international stage,” he added.

Babar’s lean patch comes in sync with Pakistan’s continuous struggle. The Men in Green have lost nine of their last 10 matches away from home, with a solitary win coming against West Indies earlier.

During his lean run from 2023 onwards, he was removed as Test captain in late 2023. However, he was reinstated in the role in July 2026 after Shan Masood also failed to inspire strong performances for Pakistan.

Pakistan currently stare down the barrel in the ongoing Lord’s Test against England. They were bowled out for 110 in the first innings in reply to England’s 290. The visitors had lost the series opener at Headingley as their batting failed to do well there too. Their batters have often been underperforming, with the scrutiny lens always on them.

–IANS

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