Waqar Younis says Pakistan ‘losing’ Babar Azam as a player due to captaincy pressure

Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis has expressed concern that the national side is losing Babar Azam as a batter because of the burden of Test captaincy. Waqar made his remarks at a charity fundraising event in Manchester on September 21, 2026, alongside fellow legend Wasim Akram.

Babar was appointed Pakistan Test captain on July 5, 2026, replacing Shan Masood ahead of tours of the West Indies and England. Pakistan drew the two-match series in the West Indies 1-1 before suffering a 3-0 whitewash in England, with defeats at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs and at Lord’s by 194 runs.

The series result has intensified scrutiny of Babar’s leadership and batting form. He has not scored a Test century since December 2022, a drought of almost four years. Pakistan now sit ninth in the World Test Championship standings with four points, having been docked 11 points for a slow over-rate in the third Test at Edgbaston.

What did Waqar Younis say about Babar Azam and captaincy?

Waqar said he has no doubts about Babar’s quality as a batter but believes the captaincy is affecting his output at the crease. He noted that whenever Babar takes on leadership responsibilities, his personal performances tend to suffer.

“I have seen him as a player. Technically, a very sound player. Very complete and elegant player. As a player, I don’t personally see anything wrong with him. But I think with the captaincy pressure, he takes a little too much on himself. Whenever he takes this responsibility or is given a responsibility, I don’t think he performs that well. So I think we are losing a player if we are going to give him this responsibility because he struggles to handle that. You have to be strong as a person, and you have to be really out there and back your players. If you cannot back your players, it’s unfair to the players and the job,” Waqar said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Babar’s previous Test captaincy stint ran from 2020 to 2023, during which he oversaw 20 Tests, recording 10 wins, six defeats and four draws before stepping down.

What else happened during Pakistan’s England tour?

The England tour was marked by significant off-field turbulence for Pakistan. After the second Test defeat, the Pakistan Cricket Board, under chairman Mohsin Naqvi, sent seven players home and began reshaping the coaching setup.

Babar stated publicly at the toss before the third Test that he had no say in the decision to send those players home and was not consulted by the board. Wasim Akram, also speaking at the Manchester event, criticised Babar for not standing by his team and suggested he should have stepped down after the second Test defeat.

The combination of the 3-0 series result, the points deduction and the internal disruption has left Pakistan’s World Test Championship campaign in a difficult position heading into the next cycle.