'I heard Babar cried': Mohammad Yousuf extends support to Pakistan skipper

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has extended support to the current skipper Babar Azam amid his dejection and criticism since the Men in Green's loss to Afghanistan in the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 match on Monday.

"I heard that he [Babar] was crying," Yousuf said while expressing concern for the prolific batter, who tops the ICC Batting Rankings.

He said that he and the entire nation stand behind Babar during this difficult phase.

In the match that took place on October 23 between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghan team displayed a remarkable performance and secured an eight-wicket victory over the national team.

In the post-match press conference, Babar was visibly disappointed and dejected as he voiced his concerns.

"I watched the press conference very carefully, in which Babar looked very worried," Yousuf said while speaking on a private TV channel.

"The outcome of a match should not be attributed to one individual but should be seen as a collective effort involving the entire team and coaching staff," he added.

The former batter said that Pakistan should support Babar and the team since they are still not out of the competition.

"Losing is a natural part of the game, and we should all support Babar during this difficult time. We all feel the pain, and it's something every player goes through."

Yousuf also pointed out certain areas for serious discussion, including Pakistan's low run total against Afghanistan and the performance of their bowlers. He mentioned that the team appeared to have a fear of losing or losing wickets.

'Don't know what players are thinking'

In his post-match conference, Babar reprimanded the team's poor fielding performance leading to a humiliating World Cup 2023 loss against Afghanistan in Chennai's Chidambaram Stadium.

Babar blamed below-par performances in bowling and fielding departments for their consecutive third loss in the ongoing mega event.

"Players are absent-minded during fielding [...] don't know what they are thinking," the skipper said while admitting that the team is "saddened" after today's loss.

"We didn't perform well in bowling and fielding [departments]", he said and also acknowledged that the "spinners didn't bowl well in the middle overs and didn't put [enough] pressure [on Afghan batters]."

The 29-year-old also turned down any "added captaincy pressure" and said that he keeps both aspects of his responsibilities separate from each other.

"There is no truth in [team] being under pressure after India's loss."

"Our [game] plans are not seeing success [...] Whatever we plan, is not being implemented to the fullest," the skipper added.

Babar also congratulated Afghanistan on their historic win while reiterating his commitment to win the remaining matches of the World Cup.