There used to be the most intense argument in world cricket about whether Babar Azam or Virat Kohli was the best all-format batter in international cricket. In the past few years, things have undoubtedly changed. Babar’s place in the Pakistani side has fluctuated due to inconsistent performances, while Kohli has moved away from the limelight in two of the three international forms.
However, given Kohli’s prominence as an Indian batsman, Babar Azam is unquestionably comparable to Pakistan’s top batsman of the last ten years. It’s debatable how important that job has been, but his teammates and peers still view him in that light.
Azam Khan, a batsman and wicketkeeper for Pakistan, claimed on the Crickwick podcast that Babar signaled a shift in Pakistani culture away from fast bowling and toward batters.
Fast bowling made Pakistani cricket renowned. But it was his batting that made it famous. The difference is enormous. Like what Virat Kohli achieved for India,” Azam, who was never able to secure a spot in the Pakistani team, contended.
Babar is suffering from a lack of mentorship.
Babar has faded away despite having a successful beginning to his career that saw him hanging out with the top players and batters in the world of cricket. He hasn’t scored a century in an ODI since August 2023, and he hasn’t scored a century in a Test since 2022. He isn’t having the best run of form and lost his place in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the Asia Cup as a result.
However, Azam Khan believed that this might be the result of the pressure he was under and the absence of a true mentor throughout his breakthrough years to assist instill in him the proper mindset for when he encountered difficulties. He likened him to Kohli, who made his breakthrough for India with the help of some of the best hitters in history.
“Virat Kohli was surrounded by a legend at the moment. He had Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, VVS Laxman, and Sachin Tendulkar when he began playing. A lot of big batters. However, who was present with Babar? “There was nobody,” Azam said.
