"Matching Babar With Smith Is Like Matching Smith With Kohli.."- Usman Khawaja

Australian opening batter Usman Khawaja discussed the challenges of facing the Pakistan cricket team in the upcoming three-match Test series. Usman Khawaja emphasized the strength of Pakistan’s batting lineup, describing it as the most formidable over the years.

The Pakistan team is gearing up for the Test series against Australia, starting on December 14 at Perth Stadium. The remaining two games of the series are scheduled for Melbourne and Sydney, respectively. Pakistan’s last Test series victory was in Australia back in 1995.

Pakistan Have Good Batting And Great Fast Bowlers – Usman Khawaja

Speaking in an interview, Usman Khawaja expressed excitement about facing this formidable batting combination, including Babar Azam, Imam ul Haq, and Abdullah Shafique. The opener acknowledged the Pakistan team as one of the better teams globally.

“Pakistan is one of the better teams in the world. They have good batting and always have great fast bowlers. Looking at the past teams, I think this is the strongest Pakistan batting lineup coming over. Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in the world. Imam ul Haq and Abdullah Shafique have scored a lot of runs. I am very excited about this challenge,” Khawaja said.

Babar Azam Doesn’t Score Only In Pakistan – Usman Khawaja

The 36-year-old drew a parallel between Babar Azam and Steve Smith, comparing it to the anticipation of a matchup between Smith and Kohli. Khawaja described Babar as one of the best all-format batters and praised his ability to perform well overseas.

“Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in all three formats. Steve Smith is the greatest batsman of our era. When they both will be playing here in the Benaud-Qadir series, it would be exciting. Matching Babar with Smith is almost like matching Smith with Kohli.”

“One of the great things about Babar is he does not score only in Pakistan; he scores runs overseas as well. He has scored a hundred here in the past,” Khawaja added.

It Makes Our Job As An Opener A Bit Tough – Usman Khawaja

Khawaja highlighted the challenge for openers when facing swinging deliveries in overcast conditions in Australia. He acknowledged the pace and swing capabilities of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mitchell Starc.

“I think Shaheen Shah and Mitchell Starc, both are very fast bowlers, and both can bowl up to 145. We know Starc can swing the new ball. Shaheen has a very good wrist. He definitely swings the ball. When it’s overcast in Australian conditions, if a fast bowler is swinging the ball, it makes our job as an opener a bit tough. This is what you rebel for, this is what you play for,” he concluded.

Also read: “Could Retire Now”: Usman Khawaja Makes Colossal Remark On His Retirement