Pakistan's Virat Kohli? Babar Azam responds to Mickey Arthur's parity with Indian
Mumbai: Virat Kohli has stamped his dominance in the race for the best modern-day batsman in cricket. The India skipper continues to excel in all three formats of the game and it has garnered huge admiration around the globe and even comparisons with the greats.
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Pakistan batsman Babar Azam was recently compared to the India talisman for his batting credentials and consistency by Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur. In reply, the 23-year-old played down the comparisons with one of the modern day greats.
“He compared me with a very big player. I think it shouldn't be done. But that is the coach's thinking. Maybe the stats at the start of our careers are similar, but he is the No. 1 batsman in the world. I want to perform at a high level for Pakistan too,” Azam was quoted saying by ESPNCricinfo.
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The Pakistan vice-captain revealed he drew inspiration from South Africa skipper AB de Villiers during the early stages of his cricket career, where he even tried to copy his shots during training.
“I loved watching AB de Villiers in the early days. I used to follow him closely. I copied him a lot too. In the nets, I used to at least try some of the shots he played in the matches. Nowadays I follow Virat Kohli, Hashim Amla, and of course, de Villiers,” the youngster added.
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This is not the first time Azam has been compared to Kohli. Previously, he made his ambitions clear of taking the national team to new heights.
“I am different and Kohli is different. My focus is on delivering for Pakistan and that’s my main objective. The team’s atmosphere was and still is very good. Meanwhile, as a team, our focus is to improve our rankings in the ODI format where we are number eight,” Azam said.
