Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has compared his country’s latest batting talent Babar Azam with India’s modern batting great Virat Kohli time and time again. This time he has done the comparison from another viewpoint.

While Virat averages more than 50 in all the three international formats with the bat, Azam averages more than 50 in one-day cricket – and a healthy 45.12 in the red-ball format – and is rated as the best Pakistan batsman of his generation.

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‘Babar Azam is a very talented cricketer. He has set a target to reach the likes of Virat Kohli, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson. There’s also a guy named Haider Ali, he will soon play for Pakistan, he’s also an exceptional batsman," Akhtar said.  

He then, once again, opined on the comparision of Babar with Virat and said, “Both Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are classic players, but it’s not right to compare them as Pakistan plays a fewer number of Tests and ODIs compared to India. Their commitment makes me believe that they both will break many world records in the future. But, it’s not fair to compare them.”

Only two players – India legend Sachin Tendulkar and Australia hero Ricky Ponting – have scored more international centuries than Kohli, who has 70 to his name.

(metro.co.uk inputs)