Azhar Ali puts Babar Azam on same pedestal as Shahid Afridi
Published - 22 Jan 2025, 07:52 PM | Updated - 22 Jan 2025, 07:59 PM
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Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam are two of the biggest names in Pakistan cricket. While Aridi dominated the cricket world in the last era, Babar has already cemented his status as one of the modern-era superstars across the formats.
However, there is no comparison between Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam when it comes to achievements and contributions to the game, at least at this stage, but the one thing that is certain is that there is equal fascination for them among fans across the globe.
Azhar Ali compares Babar Azam to Shahid Afridi
Recently, former Pakistan Test captain and current national selector Azhar Ali made an interesting comparison between Babar Azam and Shahid Afridi. The former Pakistani batter has pointed out that both players have a similar ability to attract crowds across the world. He also said that Babar is Pakisan's biggest superstar after Afridi.
While Afridi was known for his explosive hitting that won him fans all over the world, Babar has gained similar admiration through his graceful and elegant batting style in the world. Azhar said that Babar is one of the few players who can combine traditional techniques with the flair to excite the audience similar to how Afridi did during his illustrious career.
Azhar Ali was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan: “Babar is the first player after Shahid bhai who has captured the attention of the world, including in India. A conventional batter getting such applause is rare.”
Azhar Ali slams 'phenomenal' Babar Azam's critics
Sharing a message for Babar’s critics, the Pakistani selector stated, “Look at what he has achieved. You are too focused on what he hasn’t done. The runs he is scoring in all three formats are phenomenal. We need to recognize how good he truly is.”
Furthermore, Azhar Ali has mentioned that Babar is the only Pakistani player who has made a name for the country through his batting, so even if he doesn’t perform well in some matches, it should not diminish his achievements and downgrade his value as a player.
The former Pakistan captain also opened up about his criticism of Babar Azam’s captaincy. Azhar admitted that he criticized Babar's captaincy, but he has never doubted his batting ability. He reiterated that Babar should have worked on building a stronger team during his tenure, but he couldn’t.
Babar Azam fails to impress Azhar Ali as Pakistan's captain
Azhar signed off by saying, “I have criticized Babar a lot for his captaincy. I still believe that after captaining for such a long time, he should have built another team during this period. But when it comes to his batting, I say, Please stop.”
Notably, Babar is currently playing in the ongoing Test series against the West Indies. Pakistan will take on the West Indies in the second and final Test from January 25 in Multan. Then the Men in Green will play a four-match ODI tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, starting on February 19.
