"I think Babar Azam will be in the world's top 5 batsmen very soon across formats" : Mickey Arthur

[Abdullah719]

"I think Babar Azam will be in the world's top 5 batsmen very soon across formats" : Mickey Arthur

Mickey Arthur speaking today:

"I have never doubted Babar Azam; I said 2 years ago that he would be that good and he keeps on getting better and better and the exciting this for us is that we havent seen the best of Babar yet; he is just going to keep on getting better but he has been unbelievable on this tour; There have been question marks around Babar outside the sub-continent but I think he's put those to rest now and he is quality player who will get better and better"

"I thought I was a bit quick off the gun when I said 2 years ago that he would be almost as good as Virat but its taken him a while to show that class"

"But if you watched him in the nets 2 years ago, he was a young boy who's developed into a young man, he's got stronger and fitter and his game gets better and better all the time"

"I think he will be in the top 5 [batsmen] of the world very very soon across all formats"

"They bowled the second 10 overs better than the first 10, they took the pace off but yes, for a neutral these have been 2 helluva good games but for us they havent been that good at all"

"We will reflect on that and move on and the key is we have seen some young players to give an an opportunity to grow and get better and better in pressure situations"

"To be brutally honest with ourselves, I thought we batted exceptionally well but we bowled very poorly today"

"As a unit, apart from Imad Wasim who was obviously outstanding, the rest of the bowling unit was poor"

"That is something we will have to look at; we didnt execute well; I think there were 64 runs scored off short deliveries although our game plan was full strength wicket to wicket so 64 runs [off short balls] was not good enough from them"

"The execution in the last over was particularly poor"

Speaking about ODIs : "I thought we were good, there were little moments in the first 4 games where both sides could have won, South Africa got across the line and made it 2 all and it was probably a reflection of how it was; we were outplayed in the last game which was disappointing"

"Our OD cricket is good though; You have got to understand that we are outside our conditions so were learning and and getting better all the time, so I am confident"

"I am disappointed that we hadnt lost a Twenty20 series in 12 series which is disappointing because we are a side that really prides ourselves on our cricket"

"Its been good and we sort of designed it that way, we have Australia in Dubai which will be our final trial for us before we nail down our World Cup squad which will go to England for 5 ODIs before the World Cup"

"So it is good and the preparations [for the World Cup] have been planned well and we have got to give ourselves a good chance to go to the World Cup with the best preparation"

"But, preparations come from winning and behind all the games we are going to get is the fact that we have to get momentum"

"So if we go in and beat Australia and do well against England then that will give us a lot of confidence going into the World Cup"

 

[Abdullah]

I am miffed by the team selection. If faheem is on the plans for the world cup he has to play every single game from now be it t2p or 50 overs. It's unbelievable he sat out today

 

[Bhaijaan]

For that he has to become a prolific test batsman which he will I am sure of that.

Smith
Kohli
Williamson
Pujara
Warner
Root

These are the 6 greatest batsmen in world cricket currently in that order.

 

[rhony]

He absolutely will be by the end of the year. This has been a breakthrough series for him. He's more attacking without taking many risks in all formats and will only get better from here.

 

[Itachi]

Mickey does know how to play for gallery despite being an incompetent coach.

 

[rhony]

For that he has to become a prolific test batsman which he will I am sure of that.

Smith
Kohli
Williamson
Pujara
Warner
Root

These are the 6 greatest batsmen in world cricket currently in that order.

Root isn't as good in tests. Doesn't play T20s. He is a gun player in ODIs though. Pujara doesn't play anything other than tests. All formats considered,

Kohli
Smith
Warner
Willaimson

5th spot is empty now waiting for Babar to grab.

 

[Bewal Express]

Babar needs to get into the gym. He lacks a little bit of power to hit the ball for 6's against the spinners. If he gets the power we have potentially a top 3 batsman in world Cricket.

 

[xricket]

Babar can be just below kohli, or at par if he gets following right:

1- Pick spinners off their hands, rather than off the pitch. Saw him struggling against shamsi early on, when he couldnt pick his spin. Its confusing for a batsman to pick chinaman legspinner, when he is accustomed to picking orthodox leg spin. And then add variations to the mix, and you would understand why yadav is a force to be reckoned with, as he shown in asia cup. So same happened with babar in asia cup

2- Need to rotate strike when boundaries arent coming. During this odi, when simpala the debutant was bowling, you could feel un necessary pressure mounting on babar as he couldnt score off 3-4 dots. Should go to other end and think how to negate the bowler when he comes back on strike.

3- Kohli would never throw it away, like babar did. Granted talat wasnt performing well and playing selfishly, but babar shouldnt have thrown it away at that stage. One boundary and rest single/double would have done it for the over

4- Need to pick bowlers and have patience. You feel like if you dont give babar runs, he will faulter and get out. Babar need to play sensibly during that phase and rotate strike when that happens. Boundary ball will come eventually

 

[bantu]

It was Kohli esque innings today .. I mean risk free and a great Tempo until he got out..

 

[Hasan123]

Babar needs to score more test centuries and play like he did today in LO and win games to be 1 of the best in the world. He is making progress but he has a way to go to be the best in the world. I don't want to put unnecessary pressure on him.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Agree with Mickey.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Certainly, his trajectory is improving.

And yes, he's been averaging 50+ in tests, since 2018. But, his career average is still 35+

He has to take it to 45+ atleast, and win some crucial matches.

But yes, he can be the 5th one.

He need to play some clutch knocks at the World Cup to make his mark globally.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Pujara doesn't play anything other than tests. All formats considered,

Pujara doesn't have to play anything other than tests for as long as he is bossing in tests to remain among the best batsmen of this generation.

Rainbow cricket is for marketing and kids. Never forget that.

 

[Mirpur express]

He needs to win games for us across all formats specialy test & odi’s on a regular basis before he is top tier which is Kohi & Williamson at the moment, so the next 2 to 3 years he will need to move into top gear

 

[Swing]

I'm happy to see him perform like this but he's yet to win us big matches especially in tests. I think that's what really makes a batsman good and that's why people rate Kohli so high. It's not just about having a good average and a decent strike rate even zero impact players like Amla have that.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Pakistan loses a series.Mickey Arthur bigs up a Pakistani player. Thats how it goes.

 

[dragon751]

Babar needs to get into the gym. He lacks a little bit of power to hit the ball for 6's against the spinners. If he gets the power we have potentially a top 3 batsman in world Cricket.

top 3 might be being a bit over optimistic imo, hes good but not that good

 

[Mueez]

It was a batting masterclass by Babar.

However he should’ve carried the bat, but still a very good knock.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

He already is, maybe not In Tests but he will get there as soon as Pakistan plays next few series which unfortunately are very far away. Babar has potential to be Greatest Batsmen ever from Pakistan and ATG if he starts converting his scores to big and match winning ones, he will surely be the Star at the World Cup for Pakistan.

 

[QuickCrick]

I’m not great at stats but Babar is quite abit ahead of where Kholi was after a similar number of games - like i said I’m not great at stats and it’d be good if someone can do similar comparison with Williamson/Smith and in test.

After 74 games Kholi scored 2860 runs, Babar has scored 2460 is only 59 games - he should end up scoring more by the time he’s played 74 games. Obviously Kholi went nuts after and is now on a different level but Babar has the potential and pathway to surpass.

 

[Green Patriot]

Shaheen also bowled well he deserved a mention.

Babar was brilliant today,I wish he had gotten us over the line.he is not flawless and has some weaknesses but i hope that in all the praise Mickey is piling upon him his weaknesses dont go unnoticed and he works on that.If he does he can well make the Fab 4,the Fab 5.

What preparations is Mickey harping on about?We are extremely underprepared and the fact that we have just one more series to get an ideal team combination ,before we go to England is alarming.

 

[waleed88]

Exceptional knock. One of his best.

If only we chased it down... not his fault though he gave his best

 

[dragon751]

I’m not great at stats but Babar is quite abit ahead of where Kholi was after a similar number of games - like i said I’m not great at stats and it’d be good if someone can do similar comparison with Williamson/Smith and in test.

After 74 games Kholi scored 2860 runs, Babar has scored 2460 is only 59 games - he should end up scoring more by the time he’s played 74 games. Obviously Kholi went nuts after and is now on a different level but Babar has the potential and pathway to surpass.

while its a good stat to look at, you should also consider how many of babar's inngs in those games came against a zim or world eleven, i would think those stats are padded with games against these sides

 

[babajee]

The final phase in his evolution into a truly elite batsman is finishing games and converting starts into big centuries.

 

[a_tahir]

while its a good stat to look at, you should also consider how many of babar's inngs in those games came against a zim or world eleven, i would think those stats are padded with games against these sides

You should also look at how many centuries kohli got against teams like sri lanka and the windies.
The fact is he had a lot more centuries against lower ranked teams than actual good teams

 

[austerlitz]

In this world cup we will see if he is indeed big league.

 

[topspin]

The final phase in his evolution into a truly elite batsman is finishing games and converting starts into big centuries.

Precisely this.

 

[dragon751]

You should also look at how many centuries kohli got against teams like sri lanka and the windies.
The fact is he had a lot more centuries against lower ranked teams than actual good teams

are you really equating zim to windies or sl ? you might want to notice i did not add windies to the list that babar scored against .... you pak fans are thin skinned when someone points out the quality of the teams your guys get runs against , it would be funny if it were not so sad ... like i have said babar is good but not yeat a great by any strech of the imagination, but good luck with your delusions , i guess it helps you sleep at night... if you actually had a pont you would look up how many centuries kohli has against the teams you mention

 

[dragon751]

You should also look at how many centuries kohli got against teams like sri lanka and the windies.
The fact is he had a lot more centuries against lower ranked teams than actual good teams

and fyi sl have regressed only recently ... till a few years back they were above pak in the rankings ..... and i forgot to add ireland to the list of teams you guys get runs against

 

[starbuck]

He has improved a lot this past year. Now he needs to keep working on his batting and make sure that once he is settled in, he needs to get big daddy hundreds.

 

[Rana]

Root isn't as good in tests. Doesn't play T20s. He is a gun player in ODIs though. Pujara doesn't play anything other than tests. All formats considered,

Kohli
Smith
Warner
Willaimson

5th spot is empty now waiting for Babar to grab.

Warner is not in that top 4 lol

 

[Rana]

In this world cup we will see if he is indeed big league.

Not really

Inzimam was a mediocre World Cup player but a legendary ODI player still.

 

[Bewal Express]

top 3 might be being a bit over optimistic imo, hes good but not that good

I think he is. He has everything needed to be in time the best in the world.

 

[QuickCrick]

while its a good stat to look at, you should also consider how many of babar's inngs in those games came against a zim or world eleven, i would think those stats are padded with games against these sides

I don’t have the time to dissect his stats but it’s not his fault that he has played a few games against weaker opposition - what I would say is that he has pretty much scored against every opposition and I don’t think the stats would be any different if those games had been against stronger opposition.

The point is that he is ahead of Kholi after a similar number of games - I’m not saying he is better or definately will be better. He has built a solid platform to get to the next level and if he does then he will be in the the top 5.

 

[Sin Nombre]

Warner is not in that top 4 lol

Indeed.

Somehow he has become a solid test batsman in absence, while the reality is that he has a pathetic record in every alien conditions and has scores all his runs on flat Aussie pattas.

 

[Buffet]

I don’t have the time to dissect his stats but it’s not his fault that he has played a few games against weaker opposition - what I would say is that he has pretty much scored against every opposition and I don’t think the stats would be any different if those games had been against stronger opposition.

The point is that he is ahead of Kholi after a similar number of games - I’m not saying he is better or definately will be better. He has built a solid platform to get to the next level and if he does then he will be in the the top 5.

Babar is a top class batsman and his stats does look different against top class oppositions vs others. It's not unique for him. It's usually true for all batsmen.

For Babar in ODI( against the top 8 ranked teams) : Avg 41 & SR 80 ( Accounts for his 2/3rd of his career runs)

Babar in ODI( against outside of the top 8 teams ) : Avg 88 & SR 93 ( Accounts for his 1/3rd of runs)

 

[rhony]

Warner is not in that top 4 lol

He was always the 5th just outside the top4.This is all formats considered.

 

[QuickCrick]

Babar is a top class batsman and his stats does look different against top class oppositions vs others. It's not unique for him. It's usually true for all batsmen.

For Babar in ODI( against the top 8 ranked teams) : Avg 41 & SR 80 ( Accounts for his 2/3rd of his career runs)

Babar in ODI( against outside of the top 8 teams ) : Avg 88 & SR 93 ( Accounts for his 1/3rd of runs)

Sorry I meant his stats will still be good even if you changed the opposition to stronger teams but I appreciate the stats you have shown and they kind of back up my point - 41 is a solid average for someone still early in his career who is showing an upward trajectory.

 

[wasim-fan]

There was a time when every upcomingIndian cricketer was compared to Sachin Tendulkar

Now, there is a time when every upcoming Pakistani cricket is compared to Kohli.

 

[Cric_lover4487]

He played really well on this SA tour. After few years, fans will recall his counter attack to Steyn. Too bad he missed out on getting few well deserved centuries to his credit. He also seems to be hardworking with a calm head on his shoulders unlike Umar, Shahzad etc.

 

[austerlitz]

Not really

Inzimam was a mediocre World Cup player but a legendary ODI player still.

Well for us,we dont care about pak bilaterals..so for us asia cup and world cup are the test.

 

[rhony]

The final phase in his evolution into a truly elite batsman is finishing games and converting starts into big centuries.

Nailed it pretty much!! For me, his SR getting off the blocks was an issue before this SA series. He has started imposing himself early this series in all formats. It's a big milestone. He's got temperment and his team requires him to carry on. It's the next stage of his evolution. I'm expecting him to show that in the world cup. The world's grandest stage and the top batsmen should show up. From Pakistan, Im hoping Shaheen and Babar will light it up in England.

 

[MMHS]

After 3-0, 3-2 & so far 2-0, Mickey needs to say something for PAK fans. Nothing new in it - I am expecting him to come with another such prediction for Shaheen next.

 

[MMHS]

The final phase in his evolution into a truly elite batsman is finishing games and converting starts into big centuries.

The easiest two jobs in elite batsmanship - walk in the park for him. Tougher issues like hitting some crispy boundaries in eye catching 30s & 40s, scoring lots of soft ODI runs, bashing minnows .... are already there.

 

[giri26]

He has been brilliant this series. The only disappointing factor is that for all brilliant stroke play we have seen from Babar this series, he does not have a single hundred to back it up. He needs to score big and needs to convert the starts he has been getting.

 

[moghul]

Certainly, his trajectory is improving.

And yes, he's been averaging 50+ in tests, since 2018. But, his career average is still 35+

He has to take it to 45+ atleast, and win some crucial matches.

But yes, he can be the 5th one.

He need to play some clutch knocks at the World Cup to make his mark globally.

Agree, world cup will define his standing among the best batsmen in the world. At 24 this should be his best WC.

 

[Ab Fan]

Among active players, Babar stands behind

Kohli
Smith
Root
Williamson
Pujara
Warner
Taylor
Qdk
Bairstow
Buttler

 

[BaankeJi]

Mickey, please stop talking. Thanks.

 

[Bilal7]

He's already top five in ODIs and IT20s.

 

[Varun]

He's already top five in ODIs and IT20s.

And these are, namely? :

1. Amla
2. Babar
3. ***?
4. ***?
5. ***?

 

[Bilal7]

Among active players, Babar stands behind

Kohli
Smith
Root
Williamson
Pujara
Warner
Taylor
Qdk
Bairstow
Buttler

Bairstow, Buttler, de Kock? By what metric? Pujara is better in tests but this is not solely about test cricket otherwise Babar is behind a bunch of other batsmen too. Smith and Warner are not "active players" and won't be for another several months.

Kohli, Kane, Root and Taylor are ahead, I agree.

 

[Bilal7]

And these are, namely? :

1. Amla
2. Babar
3. ***?
4. ***?
5. ***?

Kohli, Babar, Taylor and perhaps the FTB Rohit Sharma, should be up there.

 

[Darkrai]

According to ICC, Babar is the best in T20Is by some distance and top 5 in ODIs. He was one of the best test players in 2018, and he has improved his ranking as well. Going well so far.

 

[Ab Fan]

Bairstow, Buttler, de Kock? By what metric? Pujara is better in tests but this is not solely about test cricket otherwise Babar is behind a bunch of other batsmen too. Smith and Warner are not "active players" and won't be for another several months.

Kohli, Kane, Root and Taylor are ahead, I agree.

Bairstow has done a lot more than Babar in tests and he also is a superior ODI batsmen to latter who has only one hundred vs top six opponents.

Same goes for Quinton de kock who has done all this and keeps gloves as well.

Buttler and Babar is a tough pick in tests but the former is well ahead in LOs due to his ability to go berserk when mattered and also showed glimpses of batting under pressure in final ODI vs Australia. He is the best ODI batsmen from his country and will very soon go down as their greatest ever LO batsmen.

Pujara and Babar are currently not in a similar league in tests which is why ODI comparisons are pointless to make. Former is well ahead on that part and currently one of the best test bat in the world as well.

 

[Cric Fan]

He tried his very best to score a selfish 100 by taking 18 off his last 15 deliveries when the required run rate was well above 10. but couldn't do it.

 

[latecut]

He tried his very best to score a selfish 100 by taking 18 off his last 15 deliveries when the required run rate was well above 10. but couldn't do it.

I am surprised that he does not have any T20 interntional century. In fact I am surprised that Pakistan has only one T20 international century. For India, even someone like K L Rahul alone has more than that number of T20 centuries.

 

[rhony]

I am surprised that he does not have any T20 interntional century. In fact I am surprised that Pakistan has only one T20 international century. For India, even someone like K L Rahul alone has more than that number of T20 centuries.

Pakistan's strength is their bowling. Look How incredible Imad's bowling was in the last game. They choke the runs and then chase down the targets. That's why they had a streak of successful chases. Even today, SA was below par until the last over. Because of their bowling attack, Pakistan doesnt chase close to 200 usually and hence they dont have centurions. Irony is Babar would have scored a hundred if he didn't slow down. He lost his tempo

 

[Hyperion66]

Babar is talented but he needs to do more against top teams, I am tired of hearing having same stats as Kohli at his age, but even at 24 Kohli was winning matches chasing against top teams, what has Babar done in comparison?

 

[Hyperion66]

You should also look at how many centuries kohli got against teams like sri lanka and the windies.
The fact is he had a lot more centuries against lower ranked teams than actual good teams

Kohli smashed a peak Malinga chasing 350+ something Babar can only dream off, SL wasn't always a minnow you know.

 

[ARK Rafay]

It was arguably his best T20 innings. I still feel he didn't had to play that shot. He could've won the game and got his 100 as well. Perhaps these are the things that is separating Babar from becoming a world class player

 

[shariqnoor]

No complains from me about how Babar batted yesterday. Probably his finest knock in international cricket.

But at the end of the day, it ended up in the dustbin.

Babar needs to elevate himself to the next gear which he hasn't done for a long time. Always feels like he is content in his comfort zone. He needs to go out there in the domestics and learn to hit sixes. He would've easily won the game yesterday had he graduated to the next level of smoking bowlers out of the park.

Kohli in his first 5 years of ODI cricket played 108 innings and hit only 30 sixes. In the next 106 innings, he hit 84 sixes. 2013/2014 season was the time when Kohli elevated himself from a great talent to an ATG batsman. And his sixes are rarely muscled over the over. Its all about bat swing and timing. Babar and Kohli are not physically different so there's nothing to suggest that Babar can't match Kohli's six hitting prowess.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Babar as an opener is the best thing Pakistan has done in a long time. This will be the making of him.

His biggest strengths are that he
1. keeps on learning (fixing his test performances, increasing his strike rate across all formats) and
2. keeps putting himself in challenging situations for the team (batting up the order.)

He will learn to finish too.

 

[Gullycricket]

Even the biased commies were in Awe repeatedly saying What a player.Best thing was they were proper cricketing shots not ugly hoicks.Those St drives and late cuts MashaAllah ..

 

[jagatk]

Pujara doesn't have to play anything other than tests for as long as he is bossing in tests to remain among the best batsmen of this generation.

Rainbow cricket is for marketing and kids. Never forget that.

so called Rainbow cricket has more fans than tests the people who watch odi and t20's vastly outnumber yester year fans like you, that's something you shouldn't forget.

 

[jagatk]

No complains from me about how Babar batted yesterday. Probably his finest knock in international cricket.

But at the end of the day, it ended up in the dustbin.

Babar needs to elevate himself to the next gear which he hasn't done for a long time. Always feels like he is content in his comfort zone. He needs to go out there in the domestics and learn to hit sixes. He would've easily won the game yesterday had he graduated to the next level of smoking bowlers out of the park.

Kohli in his first 5 years of ODI cricket played 108 innings and hit only 30 sixes. In the next 106 innings, he hit 84 sixes. 2013/2014 season was the time when Kohli elevated himself from a great talent to an ATG batsman. And his sixes are rarely muscled over the over. Its all about bat swing and timing. Babar and Kohli are not physically different so there's nothing to suggest that Babar can't match Kohli's six hitting prowess.

Don't think kohli is really a big six hitter it's his ability to keep hitting fours and even more important his ability to keep the score board ticking, he rarely plays out too many dot balls. Babar has the common pakistani inability to keep score ticking when boundaries dry up, if he corrects that he could be a great batsman.

 

[Mirpur express]

while its a good stat to look at, you should also consider how many of babar's inngs in those games came against a zim or world eleven, i would think those stats are padded with games against these sides

another hater fgs!! we can only play teams who are put in front of us , India always chickens out playing us other then icc events , otherwise our players would’ve had even better stats by thrashing the neighbors on a regular basis

 

[Mirpur express]

Kohli smashed a peak Malinga chasing 350+ something Babar can only dream off, SL wasn't always a minnow you know.

SL has has been batting practice for India in the recent past ps peak Malinga lmao..

 

[Syed1]

Bobs played a GOAT level innings yesterday, too bad Hussain Talat - Shehzad clone at the other end was just playing for his fifty.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Pakistan loses a series.Mickey Arthur bigs up a Pakistani player. Thats how it goes.

It's impossible to take coaches seriously anymore. Most of them are mouth pieces of the country that they coach and make strange claims without any backing.

 

[msb314]

Bobs played a GOAT level innings yesterday, too bad Hussain Talat - Shehzad clone at the other end was just playing for his fifty.

Give hussAin time - he has only played a handful of T20 innings and was being asked to chase nearly 200 in SAF

He will come good iA!

 

[Syed1]

Give hussAin time - he has only played a handful of T20 innings and was being asked to chase nearly 200 in SAF

He will come good iA!

He has to learn before coming to the side. The Pakistan national side is not nursery for every tom, dick and harry to get on the job training. He looked absolutely garbage out there and would have to improve by leaps and bounds to be even an average international level batsman.

 

[Sam99]

For that he has to become a prolific test batsman which he will I am sure of that.

Smith
Kohli
Williamson
Pujara
Warner
Root

These are the 6 greatest batsmen in world cricket currently in that order.

Williamson ahead of Pujara? His stats in most important country (for NZ) is pretty avg. Not just tests even in ODIs Williamson is most overrated batsman in world atm.

 

[Plumb]

Keep giving "time" to the "talented" lot of crap like Asif Ali and Talat. We will soon be no.1 from the bottom

Our Management got a real eye to pick talent I must say..

 

[Hyperion66]

SL has has been batting practice for India in the recent past ps peak Malinga lmao..

Where did I deny that? All I said is that Kohli thrashed the strong SL of the past didn't just pad up stats bashing current minnow-level SL and of late Kohli doesn't even take part in minnowbashing ex. Asia Cup. Now if you are done lmaoing kindly point out if there is anything wrong in my statement.

 

[msb314]

He has to learn before coming to the side. The Pakistan national side is not nursery for every tom, dick and harry to get on the job training. He looked absolutely garbage out there and would have to improve by leaps and bounds to be even an average international level batsman.

I guarantee that if Babar of 2016 was in the same situation - he would have played the same type of innings and today we would be calling for his head.

Yes it was a poor innings but you cannot judge him in this situation. Your can play domestic cricket, PSL or any other pyjama T20 league all you want but cannot replicate the pressure and spotlight of international cricket in front of a hostile crowd. On the job learning in international cricket is not only mandatory but necessary to become a top player.

Regarding Talat - he is quite muscular and packs a punch when going for big hits. Case in point being the monster pull shot he hit of Morris that went for 6. Even the 2nd ball he faced - he clipped a yorker off middle stump to 4 on the leg side so he clearly has the shots in his repertoire.

I can see him getting better and he has the talent to do so. Must be given a chance in T20's and ODI's in the top 5.

 

[MenInG]

In Babar Azam, Pakistan have a player of sheer class: Graeme Smith

NEW DELHI: Former South African captain Graeme Smith praised Pakistan for their victory against hosts England in their World Cup match on Monday.

In his column for the Times of India, Smith wrote, "Pakistan, undoubtedly jubilant after bouncing back against tournament favourites England, have got to ensure they stave off their 'Jekyll & Hyde' tendencies if they are to sweep Sri Lanka aside today.

In just two games, we've seen them at their most sublime and ridiculous, not a new storyline if you look at their struggles for consistency over the years. Achieving that consistency has always been a challenge and Pakistan have always found it hard to achieve. Who knows, perhaps that's what they thrive on?

I can't honestly say I know what makes this Pakistan team tick. As a player, I always felt that if you could stamp your authority on the game early, you could blow Pakistan away. However, if they get their noses in front, their big players tend to find it in themselves to puff their chests out and perform, as if they're all feeding off the situation."

Babar Azam smashed 63 from 66 balls to lead the Pakistan assault as they piled on 348/8 in their shock win over England.

"In Babar Azam, they seem to have found some much-needed ballast. A player of supreme class who wants to be the person to put in consistent performances. Their batting fired against England. in a big way, but they'll have to keep doing that given their bowlers have gone the distance since setting foot on English soil," Smith added.

Wahab Riaz was only a last-minute inclusion in the Pakistan World Cup squad after Junaid Khan was short of fitness and form. Riaz led Pakistan attack with 3-82 in his team's surprise 14-run win.

"Defending 348 wasn't simple in that game, but I do think the re-introduction of Wahab Riaz is a good move. Yes, he was expensive at Trent Bridge, but he took key wickets at key times and clearly wanted that responsibility on his shoulders. Mohammad Amir looked to have rediscovered that swing and bite to his bowling that made him such a bright spark early in his career," Smith opined.

Sri Lanka had a terrible start to the tournament in a 10-wicket thrashing by New Zealand. But the 1996 champions rallied to beat Afghanistan in a rain-hit game.

"Sri Lanka, despite their experience, are a side that Pakistan should really deal with in Bristol. The only way I can see them having any shred of hope is if Pakistan rest on their laurels and fail to respect them. The battle will be replicating the intensity and fight they showed against England. Pakistan are a side that you'd back yourself to beat over a two-month series, but not one team in this competition wants to face Pakistan on a good day, one on one. They can clean you up if they're switched on," Smith signed off.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...r-class-graeme-smith/articleshow/69687824.cms

 

[Hawkeye]

Indeed.

He's among the top 4-5 ODI batsmen in modern cricket.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

IA he will be Pakistan’s highest run scorer and century maker in ODIs

 

[Arsalan Pro]

IA he will be Pakistan’s highest run scorer and century maker in ODIs

* In all formats.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

* In all formats.

Yeah