Former Pakistan captain and batting coach Younis Khan has urged a constructive approach to rectify the mistakes made by the Pakistan team during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament, after defeat to the USA and India in the group stage, sparked criticism from fans and experts who were disappointed with the overall poor performance of the national batting lineup.

Speaking on a PTV sports, Younis Khan stated that although Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Babar Azam remain Pakistan’s national heroes, they must adapt with the times.

“We are not criticizing anyone, but rather trying to help everyone understand. We are proud of the terrific achievements of Babar Azam, Shaheen, and Rizwan in cricket. The failure to reach in the Super 8 is not just Babar Azam’s or the coach’s fault. It is a collective responsibility,” stated Khan.

“As a nation, we did not succeed. Moving forward, everyone needs to come together to make decisions. We cannot delay addressing the lack of white-ball cricket in the next 6 months,” he continued.

Khan repeatedly questioned Babar Azam’s decision not to bat at number three from the start of the tournament. Younis argued that both Babar and Mohammad Rizwan had the skills to excel in the middle order, and if one of them had done so, it could have strengthened the batting unit.

“If the team requires your services, you should open the innings or bat at number 3. The team has expressed concerns about its batting performance and should hold a meeting to discuss and address these issues,” he opined.

“The focus has been on only two batters Babar and Rizwan. They are capable of batting anywhere in the lineup. They simply need to enhance and evolve their power game to become more versatile players,” he concluded.