Azam Khan makes BOLD remark on Babar Azam, says, ‘Virat Kohli had Sachin Tendulkar, who was there…

Azam Khan compared Babar Azam's influence on Pakistan cricket to Virat Kohli's impact on Indian cricket, noting that Babar reshaped Pakistan's reputation from being primarily known for its pace attack.

New Delhi: Pakistan cricketer Azam Khan compared Babar Azam’s influence on Pakistan cricket to Virat Kohli’s impact on Indian cricket, noting that Babar reshaped Pakistan’s reputation from being primarily known for its pace attack to one recognized for batting prowess, despite not getting the support that Kohli received during his rise

Speaking on the Crickwick podcast, Azam Khan appreciated Babar for transforming the perception of Pakistan cricket.

“Pakistan cricket was famous because of fast bowling. But this guy made it famous because of his batting. There is a huge difference. Like what Virat Kohli did for India,” Azam said.

Azam Khan highlighted the difference in the environments that shaped the two batters

He further highlighted the big difference in the environments that shaped the two batters journeys.

“Virat Kohli had someone around him who was a legend at that time. In the era he started playing in, he had VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni. So many big batters. But who was there with Babar? There was no one,” Azam added.

Former Pakistan batter Mohsin Khan reflected on Babar Azam, praising his exceptional batting skills while emphasizing the importance of providing him with better support.

“Babar isn’t a bad batter,” Mohsin said. “But you need a clutch of quality players around him to support him. Look at Virat Kohli — in Tests, he had Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and KL Rahul. In ODIs, he had Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. A great player is made even greater when surrounded by other strong players.”

Mohsin pointed out the excessive pressure on Babar and Rizwan

Mohsin also pointed out the excessive pressure on Babar and Mohammad Rizwan to perform consistently.

“If you are always put under pressure that you have to score centuries every time you step out, they are humans too — hence at times you aren’t able to play the game the team requires you to play,” he said.

Talking about Pakistan’s batting history, Mohsin added, “During our time, there was Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, and later Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan. Teams are built on numbers — you need a group of players who are more or less of the same quality. Right now, there is a big gulf between Babar and the rest.”