Babar is set to begin his Test captaincy stint with the New Zealand tour 2020-21.
Former Pakistan captain and former coach Rashid Latif believes that Babar Azam is on the right path to become a leader like Indian captain Virat Kohli who isn’t just the boss on the field but also off the field.
Rashid, the former wicketkeeper-turned-cricket analyst, further said, being a captain, Pakistan’s current captain Babar has to take a stand for his players and make some out of the box decisions just like his Indian counterpart Kohli has done over the years.
He also pointed out that Babar has the makings to become a good leader, but he would have to learn from Kohli how he handled his captaincy responsibilities and his own game if he wants to continue as captain for a long period of time in all three formats of the game.
Rashid told a Pakistani YouTube channel: “I think Babar has to become a leader like Virat rather than just being a captain of the team. Virat has developed into a leader and in cricket and sports, when you are made the captain, you have to become a leader.”
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He continued, “…and by that, I mean you have to be respected on and off the field. You have to stand up for your players and you have to take the hard and out of box decisions. You look at Virat today and he is a complete leader and his own stature as a batsman has also helped a lot. But you can see in the attitude of the Indian team and their selection, Virat has his say in everything.”
However, Rashid was impressed by the fact that Babar is showing signs of transforming into a “leader” from being just a “captain” just like Kohli while hailing Pakistan captain’s game awareness.
Latif signed off by saying, “I think Babar is also on the right path and I felt he had his input in the squad selected for the New Zealand tour. I think Babar because of his exceptional batting talents has the makings of a good leader. He may seem meek and an introvert but he is mentally very strong and has game awareness and you can see this in his batting.”
(With PTI Inputs)