"He's One Of The Best" - Babar Azam Praised By Australian Bowling Attack Ahead Of Test Series

Pakistan’s ace batter Babar Azam received praises from the Australian bowlers ahead of the three-match Test series between the two nations, commencing on December 14 in Perth.

The former Pakistan skipper has been acknowledged and appreciated by Australian bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.

Australian skipper, Pat Cummins acknowledged Babar Azam’s formidable skills, stressing his negligible list of weaknesses and a well-rounded technique that allows him to score across the field. “Babar doesn’t have too many weaknesses. He has pretty tight technique and can score all around the ground. He is going to be hard work. He is kind of in the upper echelon of the batters at the moment around the world, so it will be satisfying if you get him out,” Cummins said.

Josh Hazlewood hailed Babar Azam’s prolonged excellence, shedding light on his evolution from an impactful ODI batsman to a superclass in Test cricket. “He’s a superclass player and has been for a long time. Babar burst into the arena as an ODI batter and later changed his game to be strong in Test cricket as well. If you miss, he hurts you and tries to put pressure back on bowlers,” Hazlewood said.

Mitchell Starc appreciated Babar’s capability to take control of the game and he expressed Australia’s aspiration to contain him during the upcoming Test series. “Babar Azam has got a great batting temperament and has got all the shots. He can build an inning and can also be ultra-aggressive. Babar has the ability to take the game away from you. He’s one of the best and we hope to keep Babar quiet on this tour,” Starc said.

Watch- Australian Players Praising Babar Azam

Australian players Pat Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon talking about class of Babar Azam pic.twitter.com/70qMeoav5H

— Agha (@UTD_agha) December 10, 2023

Nathan Lyon characterized the former Pakistan skipper as an exceptionally talented player. He also expressed an eagerness to compete against one of the world’s best. “Babar Azam is extremely talented. You always want to compete against the best players in the world and he is definitely one of them,” Lyon said.

Babar Azam is currently the only player to be in the top five of the ICC rankings in all three formats. He is No.2 in the ODI rankings and No.4 in both Tests and T20Is. Babar is a force to be reckoned with and Australia will not take a threat like Babar Azam lightly, The Aussies are prepared for Babar Azam and since Babar has been relieved from his captaincy, he can focus completely on his batting.

The first Test between Australia and Pakistan will be played in Perth starting from December 14. Both teams will then move to Melbourne for the traditional ‘boxing day’ Test and then the last Test will be played in Sydney after the New Year celebrations where Australia will bid farewell to David Warner who will play his last Test at the SCG.