Australian Cricketers Laud Babar Azam's Remarkable Cricketing Prowess

Babar’s remarkable skill, versatility, and determination have earned him praise from notable Australian players, with some drawing comparisons to Indian maestro Virat Kohli.

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 30^th, 2023) Prominent Australian cricketers have lauded Pakistan's skipper, Babar Azam, as a cricketing sensation, unanimously including him in their One Day International (ODI) World XI.

Azam's remarkable skill, versatility, and determination have earned him praise from notable Australian players, with some drawing comparisons to Indian maestro Virat Kohli.

Josh Hazlewood, the Australian fast bowler, recognized Azam's exceptional talent, highlighting his ability to thrive under pressure and making parallels with Virat Kohli.

"He's [Babar] probably a little younger than other guys, he's sort of following in Virat's footsteps pretty quickly. He's a few runs behind, but again, his numbers are unbelievable," Hazlewood commented.

Speaking about Azam's adaptability, Usman Khawaja, an Australian top-order batsman, praised Azam's prowess in both attacking and defensive situations.

“He's got the innate ability. I've seen it where people bowl in the right areas, and he gets on top of it and smacks you through anywhere from mid-off through cover, through point. A lot of people are just trying to get ones off that ball, but he has these fast hands and smacks it, finding gaps between the points and extra cover for four.

He's a beautiful player of the ball, an excellent player of spin. He's got all the attributes too. I couldn't put him at three because of Kohli, so he slips down to four,” Usman stated.

Marnus Labuschagne, another Australian cricketer, emphasized Azam's unique style of play, describing his ability to force the ball down the ground effectively.

“He's [Babar] got a bit of a lower bat. He sort of stands up on top of the ball, a little bit more, and he hits quite straight, whereas Kohli and Steve can tend to hit a bit square. I think he forces the ball down the ground really well,” Marnus said.

Azam's exceptional adaptability and high-tempo gameplay have earned him admiration among Australian players.

“He's so versatile. He plays a high-tempo game naturally. Having played against Babar on wickets that don't bounce much, you know when you are going to India for the World Cup, where there may not be too much bounce towards the back end, you almost feel like you can't hang the ball and get him out,” Marnus further added.

Currently, Babar Azam holds the top spot in ICC ODI batter rankings, boasting 5409 ODI runs, including 19 centuries and 28 half-centuries.