Really Impressed By Babar Azam’s Batting Technique; Youngsters Should Follow Him, Says Shaun Pollock

Former South African cricketer Shaun Pollock has heaped praises for Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam. The former South African star bowler also urged young cricketers from Pakistan to follow Babar Azam’s technique in batting. Currently, Babar Azam is 2nd ranked ODI batsman after Virat Kohli in ICC rankings.

Babar Azam, who is also the captain of the Pakistan Cricket team in all three formats, led Pakistan to a 2-1 victory against South Africa in a recent three-match ODI series. Azam smashed a century in the first ODI and a 94-run knock in the third ODI, bagging the player of the match awards in both matches.

Babar Azam Seems So Relaxed When He Goes To Crease: Shaun Pollock

While speaking on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, Shaun Pollock said that he is really impressed by Babar Azam’s technique in batting. “His demeanour when he goes to the crease, he seems so relaxed and it seems that he has got his game plan sorted out. He is not a very old individual so he is going to get better as the years go on.

“The technique that he has got, I have been really impressed. I mean, I see I hear that if a youngster is looking to copy a technique, you can’t go far from Babar Azam,” said Pollock.

Pollock also said that Azam plays in a relaxed position and is effective in all the conditions while batting. “He gets into a relaxed position and he gives himself the best chances to be effective in all conditions, whether it’s slower or bouncier, fast or seaming; he has got such a good technique that he is going to stand the test of time.

“You just got to go and look at his figures. Sometimes you don’t understand a player and how good he is until you see him first hand and I have been impressed,” Shaun Pollock further added.

In the ICC Batsmen Rankings in ODIs, Azam is just 5 points behind no.1 batsman Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli has a rating of 857 while Babar Azam has 852. Azam is expected to overtake Virat Kohli as the no.1 ODI batsman in the next updated ICC rankings.