Babar Azam hails Virat Kohli as the number 1 batsman in the world during his recent interview with ESPN. Also, he labeled him as a very big player and hoped to contribute at the higher level like him.
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur once compared Babar Azam with Indian captain Virat Kohli as both had similar batting stats during the inaugural days at international level.
Talking about that comparison, Azam said “He compared me with a very big player. I think it shouldn’t be done. But that is the coach’s thinking. Maybe the stats at the start of our careers are similar, but he is the No. 1 batsman in the world. I want to perform at a high level for Pakistan too.”
Young Pakistani lad has scored seven ODI tons so far and he became the fastest to achieve that feat earlier this year. Comparing his first and seventh ODI hundred, he added “I didn’t feel anything too different. Early on in my career, I used to get out in the 30s, 40s, fifties and 60s. So I really appreciated reaching my first hundred. But I was as focused when making my seventh hundred as I was during my first ton. I give my 100% in every game.”
The 23-year-old came in limelight with his three consecutive ODI centuries against West Indies in 2016, which took him to an elite list of players. After the first two hundred, he was aware of the record and went to achieve that as well.
He said “I was quite excited about the first hundred. The confidence got higher after the second. Ahead of the third hundred, I knew that I was looking at a world record. But I felt similar to how it was before the first two hundreds.”
“I knew about the world record because it was all over social media. I stayed focused before the third hundred, never thinking that I have to score a hundred. I remembered my processes of the first two hundreds and applied it in that game. Allah gave me the third one as well.”
Azam is the most talented batsman in the current cricket setup in Pakistan and their future lies in him. However, to shoulder the burden of Pakistani cricket fans, he needs to sound his technique in the longer format as well, where he hasn’t impressed a lot so far.
