Waqar Younis said Pakistan are “losing” Babar Azam as a player because of Test captaincy pressure, with the remarks reported on September 22, 2026, after a charity fundraising event in Manchester.
The warning places renewed focus on whether leadership responsibility is limiting one of Pakistan’s most important players. The former Pakistan fast bowler’s comments referred to Babar being given the Test captaincy again. The criticism centred on the additional mental load attached to the role rather than any doubt about his natural batting ability.
Waqar Younis Links Babar’s Batting to Captaincy Pressure
The central argument was direct: Babar takes too much responsibility upon himself when he leads Pakistan. That burden, according to the former pacer, leaves him struggling to handle the pressure of captaincy and affects his output with the bat.
The remarks also suggested that Babar does not perform as well when he is given added responsibility. That distinction matters for Pakistan because the team is not simply weighing a captain’s tactical performance; it is assessing whether the leadership role is reducing the value of its premier batter. Wasim Akram made a similar criticism at the same Manchester event. He questioned Babar’s decision to accept the Test captaincy and argued that remaining only a player might have served both the batter and Pakistan better.
The Numbers Around Pakistan’s Current Debate
The available match data does not provide a Test scorecard connected to the comments, so no batting score, dismissal, or bowling figure can be assigned to Babar from this report. The verified match score instead records Pakistan Women at 145/8 against Bangladesh Women’s 114/7 after 20 overs, a separate completed match included in the available data.
That distinction is essential. Pakistan’s wider captaincy debate cannot be supported with an invented Babar score or an assumed points-table movement when the linked report supplies neither. The confirmed facts establish the criticism, the leadership issue and the setting, but not a new individual scoreline.
| Data point | Verified detail |
|---|---|
| Comment reported | September 22, 2026 |
| Venue linked to event | Manchester |
| Leadership role discussed | Pakistan Test captaincy |
| Pakistan Women score | 145/8 in 20 overs |
| Bangladesh Women score | 114/7 in 20 overs |
Why the Babar Question Matters for Pakistan
Pakistan’s dilemma is now about role design. If Babar is more productive without the captaincy, selectors must decide whether his batting contribution outweighs the need for a senior leader who can manage Test strategy and dressing-room pressure.
The debate also connects with the way his form is discussed publicly. Our earlier coverage of Babar Azam’s Powerplay examined his influence as a high-value batter, while another report focused on Babar Azam in the Test context. That said, removing the captaincy would not automatically solve Pakistan’s batting concerns. It would only separate Babar’s run-making responsibilities from the leadership decisions that Waqar and Akram believe are weighing on him.
What Pakistan Could Do Next
Pakistan’s next decision is likely to concern clarity rather than another layer of responsibility. The team can retain Babar as captain and demand a stronger process around workload, or return him to a specialist batting role and appoint another Test leader. Any change would carry selection consequences.
Babar’s position, the captain’s authority and the team’s batting structure would all need to be aligned, especially after the criticism from two former Pakistan captains and leading voices in the country’s cricket debate. Pakistan can also use its existing player-management discussions to assess whether the leadership role is affecting preparation and performance. Coverage of Babar Azam Fit already reflects the intensity of scrutiny around his availability and role. Understanding Waqar Younis fully means staying ahead of these developments. For more detail, see BBC Sport Cricket.
The immediate question is not whether Babar has the quality to lead Pakistan, but whether the role allows him to remain Pakistan’s best possible batter. Waqar Younis has made that cost impossible to ignore.
FAQs
What did Waqar Younis say about Babar Azam?
He said Pakistan are “losing” Babar as a player because captaincy pressure leads him to take too much responsibility and affects his batting performance. For more detail, see BBC Sport.
What role was discussed?
The comments referred to Babar being given Pakistan’s Test captaincy again.
What did Wasim Akram say?
Akram criticised Babar’s decision to accept the Test captaincy and said he should have remained only a player.
Source: Crictracker
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