Former India batsman Wasim Jaffer, who opened the batting for India in Tests in the mid-2000s, believes that Babar Azam is one of Pakistan's best batters, but believes that comparisons with Virat Kohli have contributed significantly to his downfall.

Jaffer stated that although Babar is unquestionably a good player, he was rated above his actual level and that the Pakistani media overhyped Babar and made needless comparisons with Kohli.

“Babar is a good player; there is no doubt about it. He has also performed well. I obviously like him a lot as a player. But I just thought he was rated more than his limit. He was rated more than his limit. Virat Kohli se compare karna shuru kar diya. They (Pakistani fans and media) made him the king. And I think that was the reason (for his downfall)," Jaffer said in conversation with Saurav Yadav.

“People around you treat you like that. The media is calling you King Babar. Unnecessary comparison started with Virat. And I think that pressure started playing in his mind. He tried to be like Virat Kohli. He tried to play like how Virat used to in the Indian team. He tried to play like that. He tried to perform like that. Virat is Virat — one of the greatest players of this generation. So, I felt that the media hyped him too much. And from there, his downslide started," he added.

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Jaffer claims that although Babar had the chance to assemble a formidable Pakistani team, the intended outcomes were not attained.

“Plus, his captaincy. He didn’t build the team as he should have. Although he got the chances, he couldn’t perform as expected. Neither could he win consistently with his team. Although he played in the T20 World Cup final, the team was good. But I just thought, ‘He didn’t take Pakistan cricket to the top when he had the chance.’ So, some things happened. Without a doubt, he is one of the finest batters of Pakistan of this generation," he added.