Babar Azam should keep captaincy and batting separate: Sri Lankan great.

KARACHI -- Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain and star batter, is going through a rough patch in terms of his form recently, which has become a matter of "slight concern' for Pakistan heading into the T20 World Cup, according to Sri Lanka legend Mahela Jayawardene.

Babar managed just 68 runs in six outings in the Asia Cup 2022.

"It was a rare blip for one of the most consistent T20I batters of his generation, and it's a streak that cost him the No 1 spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I batters' rankings," read a press release issued for Mahela Jayawardena's ICC review.

Former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene, a player who juggled both batting and captaincy in his heyday, had sound advice for Babar on tackling the dual role as the captain and as the best batter.

He stressed the need to ensure that the Pakistan skipper wasn't surrounded by 'undue pressure' heading into the ICC T20 World Cup.

"When you have a quality player like that, try and not put pressure on him," Jayawardene said.

"Leading into the World Cup, you want your best player to be confident and relaxed" going into the tournament, he added.

Jayawardene said that being the captain and being the best batsman for one's side is not an...