A former Cricket star has revealed troubling internal politics within Pakistan‘s effort to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2026. He has spoken out about the reasons behind his unexpected resignation from the national selection panel. The well-known batter, who once held this role, claimed that his departure was not voluntary, as reported, but a result of an unsuccessful attempt to bench Babar Azam. He stated that his concerns about Babar’s ongoing poor performance faced strong opposition from team leaders, leading him to feel that staying in his position compromised his integrity.
Resignation linked to Babar Azam’s performance
The former selector and respected batter Mohammad Yousuf explained that he resigned to protest the dismissal of his evaluation of Babar’s game. He pointed out that Babar’s struggles over the past three years were evident, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and management were resistant to taking action. During the ‘How Does it Work’ podcast, Yousuf shared his experience:
“I’ve been saying this for 2-3 years that Babar’s technique has gone for a toss. I’ve been hearing that he is out-of-form, but he is not. A player can only be out-of-form for two to three series and he has not scored runs for the past two or three years. The moment I suggested resting Babar, everyone suddenly turned against me. I had to resign because of this. He was eventually dropped a couple of series later. What has happened to him today is because of the same people who doubted me.”
