Inzamam-ul-Haq opens up on comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam
Cricket | July 04, 2020 14:02 ISTBabar Azam had earlier said that he wants to be compared to the stalwarts of Pakistan cricket, and not the Indian captain.
Babar Azam had earlier said that he wants to be compared to the stalwarts of Pakistan cricket, and not the Indian captain.
Azam stated that he doesn't want to be compared with Kohli but with some of the top-class batsmen that have donned the jersey of Pakistan in the past.
Azam was named Pakistan's T20 skipper while Azhar Ali was appointed as Test captain after Sarfaraz Ahmed was sacked in October last year. Azam was appointed as the ODI skipper last month.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan drew parallels between former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and Azam and said both were appointed as captains very early in their respective careers.
Saqlain gave Babar an edge over Kohli owing to the youngster's humble nature as against the latter's aggressive on-field attitude. Saqlain based his opinion on sports science.
Smith was asked about a variety of questions ranging from his opinion on cricketers like Kohli, Dhoni, Babar, to his career highlight and the best tournament he has ever played in.
The PCB's step came after videos of Babar practicing with Pakistan teammates, Imam-ul-Haq, fast-bowler Naseem Shah and some local players surfaced on social media.
Younis described Kohli as the top batsman of modern-day cricket, but said Azam has the capability of breaking many batting records.
Babar was recently appointed Pakistan's ODI skipper and he stated that he looks up to former World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan for inspiration.
Babar, who is the top-rated batsman in ICC T20I rankings, picked 6 Indian and 5 Pakistan's players in the combined XI.
Babar hailed Kohli as one of the players and said he will try to become a player like him and win matches for Pakistan.
The quartet of Kohli, Williamson, Joe Root and Steve Smith are widely regarded as modern-day batting greats and Akhtar stated Azam had set his eyes upon being part of that league of cricketers.
Sohail feels Babar is very calm and composed on the field and he wants him to bring out his aggressive attitude as it would benefit him in the long run.
Grant Flower, who worked with the Pakistan team as batting coach from 2014 till after last year's World Cup, expressed concerns about Azam's capability to captain in two formats and be the team's best batsman as well.
The 25-year-old, who was named captain of the Pakistan T20 team ahead of the Australia series in October last year, was recently handed the reins of ODI team as well.
Hogg explained the snub by mentioning the Indian captain's unimpressive run tally in his last 15 Tests.
Babar faced the wrath of Shoaib Akhtar who is known for his outspoken nature. The former pacer said Babar has a lot to prove and he should learn from Imran Khan on how to carry your personality as a captain.
Test cricket returned to Pakistan last year in December, almost 11 years since the Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team's coach and security convoy killed six policemen and two civilians, while leaving the reserve umpire and seven Sri Lanka players wounded.
With consistent performances across three formats, the 25-year-old Azam has been steadily rising up the ranks in recent years, while the Indian captain Kohli has already established himself as one of the greats of the game.
Babar also expects that his batting prowess remains the same even after the additional responsibility of being the ODI skipper. He is presently the No.1 T20I batter and is ranked third in the ODIs.
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