Former South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn recently held a Q&A session on Twitter on Thursday and he was asked about the best batter across formats in recent times. Responding to the question, he named Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

“Who’s the best batsman across all formats currently in your opinion?” a user asked him. “Maybe Babar? He’s pretty darn good,” Steyn wrote while replying. Babar is currently the No.1 ranked batter in ODIs and T20 Internationals (T20Is), and fifth in the longer format as well.

READ HERE: India will struggle if Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma don’t score, says Mohammad Hafeez

Babar Azam was in sublime form during Australia’s recent tour of Pakistan. In the three-match Test series, he hit one century and two half-centuries as well. His knock of 196 in the second Test almost guided Pakistan to a historic chase, but the match ended in a draw and Australia later won the third Test to take the series 1-0 as well.

He carried his form into the ODI series also, smashing 57 in Pakistan’s defeat in the first match and then scoring back-to-back centuries to lead Pakistan to a 2-1 series win as well. He amassed 114 off just 83 balls in the second ODI to help Pakistan chase 349. In the third match, he smashed an unbeaten 105 as Pakistan cruised in their chase of 211 as well.

READ HERE: Gary Kirsten all set to work with Hardik Pandya

In the one-off T20I, Babar Azam hit 66 off 46 to help Pakistan put up 162/8. However, a fifty from opposite number Aaron Finch saw Australia chase down the target as well. The Pakistan captain has been in prolific form, since the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he finished as the leading run-scorer as well.