"Sarfaraz Ahmed Was An Active Captain Whereas Babar Azam...": Pakistan Star Compares The Two

26.07.2022 - 09:07 sports.ndtv.com

Babar Azam's career graph is on the rise. He is currently the world No. 1 batter in ODIs and T20I in ICC rankings. In Tests, he is ranked No.

4. "As a player it's a dream to become the No. 1 in all formats and, for that, you have to focus and put in hard work. It's not like if you are the top player in one or two formats, you go easy," the official website of ICC quoted Babar as saying recently. "If you are to become No.1 in all three, you have to keep yourself fit and on track.

There is back-to-back cricket and the gap is less. For that, you need to be extra fit. It's something I am preparing for. It's going well in white-ball and hopefully, I will be able to do well in Tests too," he added.

Azam is also the captain of the Pakistan team. While he is yet to win an ICC event as a vcaptain, under his leadership Pakistan qualified for the semi-final of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

cricket Pakistan Cricket Team Babar Azam Javed Miandad Pakistan

India are slated to taken on Pakistan in the Asia Cup on 28th August and the biggest threat for the star-studded Indian batting line-up will once again be the left-handed paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi. It was Afridi, who dented India's chances in last year's T20 World Cup clash between the arch rivals as he dismissed openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul during a fiery spell.

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An India vs Pakistan match is one of the most awaited encounters in the field of cricket. However, the fans easily don't get a chance to witness the tussle between the two sides in a cricket field as the two teams haven't played any bilateral series since January 2013. In such a case, they are only the multi-team events that give the fans a chance to cheer for their respective teams in the high-value match. The limited number of head-to-head matches in the last decade has further increased the importance of the face-off between the two sides.

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Babar Azam backs Hasan Ali to stage Pakistan comeback

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has backed Hasan Ali to stage a comeback soon, after the all-rounder was dropped from the team for the ODI tour of the Netherlands and the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the UAE later this month.

"Hum Budhe Ho Gaye Hai?" Babar Azam's Hilarious Response To Journalist Asking Him On Giving Up One Format. Watch

Babar Azam has been hailed in recent times as one of the best batters of the modern era. The Pakistan cricket team captain is currently the NO. 1 ODI and T20I batter in ICC rankings. In Tests, Azam is No. 3 in ICC charts. He is the only batter to be in top three in all the three formats. Recently, Sri Lanka great Mahela Jayawardene, on the latest episode of The ICC Review, backed the Pakistan star to dethrone Joe Root from the top spot in Tests. "I would say Babar Azam has an opportunity. He's been consistent in all three formats and it shows in his rankings. He's a naturally gifted player, plays in all conditions, he's got the game to adapt as well," Jayawardene said.

"Might Be the Guy": Jayawardene Thinks Pakistan Star Can Dethrone Root As Top Test Batter

Sri Lanka legend Mahela Jayawardene has picked Pakistan captain Babar Azam as the cricketer who, he believes, can dethrone England's Joe Root as top Test batter. Root has been ruling the roost at the top of the Test rankings since June, with the Englishman enjoying a fine World Test Championship, and in a rich vein of form under new coach Brendon McCullum.