Nobody Is Talking About Babar Azam Because He Is Not Virat Kohli, Says Nasser Hussain
Published - 06 Aug 2020, 11:23 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:32 AM
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Rain played spoilsport on Day 1 one of the ongoing first Test between England and Pakistan in Manchester as only 49 overs of play was possible. However, those 49 overs were enough for Babar Azam to score an impressive fifty and made his intentions clear to the hosts.
Hopes are sky high from the Pakistan batting mainstay on the challenging tour and the right-handed batsman has started in a brilliant manner. At the end of day’s play, he was unbeaten on 69 while giving him company was Shan Masood on 46 not out. Pakistan were 139 for 2 when stumps were called.
This was Babar Azam’s fifth consecutive 50-plus score in as many Tests with his previous five matches yielding three hundreds. With form on his side, the Pakistan star would be looking to score big on day two of the game to put the visitors in the driver’s seat.
Nasser Hussain lavishes praise on Babar Azam:
Babar Azam did not really bat for long due to the rain but it was enough for him to make a big impression on former England captain Nasser Hussain. In fact, the former cricketer-turned-commentator was so impressed that he went on to compare Babar Azam with the likes of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and other top batters in the world.
Watching Babar Azam play some breathtaking drives against the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes, Hussain said that people don’t talk about the Pakistan star much as he is not India captain Virat Kohli.
“If this lad was Virat Kohli, everyone would be talking about it but because it is Babar Azam, no one is talking about it,” said Hussain while commentating for Sky Sports.
“He’s young, he’s elegant, he’s got all the swagger,” he added.
Hussain also added that Babar Azam has forced way into the top five batsmen of the world, making it ‘Fab Five’ and no longer Fab Four.
“They keep going on about the ‘Fab Four (Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and England captain Joe Root) — it’s the ‘Fab Five’ and Babar Azam is in that.”
England coach Chris Silverwood was also impressed with the batsman, saying: “We know we’re up against a very good batsman.”
Pakistan were in a spot of bother when Babar Azam joined Masood in the middle. The visitors were reeling at 43 for 2. Babar started cautiously but after lunch he unfurled an array of stylish attacking shots en route to a 70-ball fifty featuring nine fours.
