Babar Azam made name for himself through Test cricket, not T20Is: Yousuf

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Former Pakistan batting great, who is currently the batting coach at the National High Performance Centre (NHPC) in Lahore, Mohammad Yousuf believes that skipper and star batsman Babar Azam made a name for himself through Test cricket and not Twenty20 International (T20Is).

While speaking to Cricket Pakistan in an exclusive interview, the former right-handed batsman stated that the players should not find it difficult to switch from T20I to Test cricket ahead of the two-match series between New Zealand and Pakistan.

“I don’t think it is difficult for professionals to shift from T20 to Test cricket. Only the kit changes, the ground, players and cricket in general is the same,” said Yousuf.

“I will admit that Test cricket is a little difficult but a player can make a name for myself by playing good cricket. The general public might not properly appreciate the Test performances but people who know cricket are aware of its value. Just look at the example of Babar Azam, he came into the limelight through his performances in Test cricket. I think Nasser Hussain in England and Australian players as well might have praised him for his performance in Test cricket, not T20Is,” he added.

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Yousuf also stressed on the importance of playing all around the ground and this something which he is keen on inculcating in the younger players.

“In terms of batting, we are trying to teach players about how to play shots all over the ground. In the past Inzamam [ul Haq] bhai and Saeed [Anwar] bhai, and these Babar Azam, had the ability to play at a 360 [degree] angle. We want to ensure that players at grassroots level are able to succeed at the top tier without any difficulty, be it Pakistan or outside the country,” he said.

“In the Under-19 camp, next month, we will also try to work on the basics with these players. I have gone through a similar process, after playing 12 years of international cricket along with first-class cricket, and so I want to share my experience with the youngsters. If they follow what I and other coaches at NHPC tell them, it will be beneficial for the players,” he added.

The former Pakistan captain also believes that youngsters Abdullah Shafique and Haider Ali should be given consistent chances with the national team. 

“They [Haider Ali and Abdullah Shafique] are good players that’s why they have been selected but we need to give them more time before passing a judgment. At this stage, when they have played very few matches, it is hard to give an accurate assessment about their performance,” he said.

He also lamented the lack of great players while naming the best batsmen going around in world of cricket at the moment.  

“In the past every team had three great players but now there are only a handful of great players around the world. In my opinion, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, [Kane] Williamson [Steve] Smith, who is the number one player these days, and Joe Root are the best players in the world at the moment,” he said. “I like Rohit Sharma as well but I don’t know why he doesn’t play Test cricket.” 

FULL INTERVIEW