Pakistan batting sensation Babar Azam’s rapid rise across the three formats of the game is making many fans and pundits compare him with ace Indian batsman Virat Kohli, but the former Pakistan captain Salman Butt feels there is no comparison between the two world-beaters.
Both Babar and Kohli have already broken many batting records in their careers thus far with the Indian skipper is still dominating the rankings and has already established himself as a modern-day legend. While Babar's artistic batsmanship makes him one of the best batters at the moment.
Reacting to the comparison between Babar and Kohli, Salman said it is unfair to compare the two since the Indian skipper is very experienced while the Pakistan skipper is still learning.
He also said Butt stated that Babar doesn’t enjoy the kind of solid backing from Pakistan’s batting line-up that Kohli has in terms of winning the games for the respective teams.
Butt said on his official YouTube channel, “There is no comparison between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. The Indian captain is very experienced and Babar Azam is relatively new. The Pakistan skipper has been performing well but there is still a long way to go for him.
But Babar Azam doesn’t have the support around him, which can convert his performances into match-winning ones. Kohli, though, has a complete framework. He has a cluster of outstanding players around him. India can win even if Kohli fails because there are others in the team, who are capable of winning games for them.”
The batsman further noted, “At the moment, Babar Azam is young, doesn’t have that much experience and exposure as Kohli. Secondly, he is almost like a lone performer in the team. He has the support of (Mohammad Rizwan) but the others only perform once in a while. Babar Azam scores run yet he has to face criticism, which is double jeopardy. It is the machinery that has to work, one man cannot make a difference. It is a team game after all.”
He concluded, “Babar Azam has been in top-class form for two years and has been scoring consistently. But Pakistan has played 10 one-dayers in the last three years, so how many opportunities did he have? And how can there be a comparison? Babar Azam has to learn a lot. He is a world-class player and will only get better.”
