'Big Player' Babar Azam Has Replaced Joe Root In Fab 4: Michael Vaughan

Babar Azam has become the talk of the town after his batting brilliance on Day 1 of the series opener between England and Pakistan at the Old Trafford in Manchester. Azam was in no hurry and his body language depicted that he was contended to hang in there and make the most of his opportunity.

Once he started to bat, he got his eye in gauging the pace and movement that the wicket is providing. It was a calm and clear approach as he build up his play. Cricket pundits applauded his effort with Michael Vaughan saying that Azam had a stoll in the park there. He also mentioned about the back-foot punch he played off James Anderson, the glorious cover drive and the sis over the mid-wicket, adding that he replaces England captain Joe Root in the fab four.

“The big player Babar Azam strolled out there. Played and missed his first few deliveries and you think can he play the moving ball? Then all of a sudden he just starts to get his form, his balance, puts one down the ground. Played a beautiful back-foot punch of James Anderson.

“We saw that glorious cover drive that he got and then he danced down and whacked one over mid-wicket. You keep talking about the ‘Big Four’ and I keep hearing about this, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Joe Root, they kind of mention him in that top four but I am not too sure about that at this stage. I reckon Babar Azam has totally shifted Joe Root out of the way as we speak because of his record off late,” Michael Vaughan told Cricbuzz.

Babar Azam and Shan Masood have stitched together an unbeaten partnership of 96 runs for the third wicket as they kept the Englishmen at bay. Azam, who paced up his innings perfectly, is unbeaten on 69 while Shan Masood (46 not out) is inching closer to his half-century.

Pakistan, who ended the opening day on a high, will resume on Day 2 at 139/2.