"If you think Virat Kohli's good to watch, have a look at Babar Azam bat" : Tom Moody

[Abdullah719]

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-pitch-side/episode-4-who-are-the-best-C1Stip3dLlK/

Comments from Tom Moody on the podcast:

"Babar Azam has played 26 Test matches but for half of those matches, he wasn't really considered part of the main batting lineup for Pakistan. He was the afterthought down the order.

"He's emerged over the last year or so into something that's going to be so special.

"We talk about how Virat Kohli is so good on the eye as a batsman, well, if you think Virat Kohli's good to watch, have a look at Babar Azam bat, my gosh. He's something special.

"In the next 5-10 years, Babar will definitely be in your top 5. But at the moment, it's hard to justify him in that position giving his statistics. He's average 37 away and 67 home but we've got to consider he's barely played away from home. A lot of those games were in the early part of his career."

 

[Rajdeep]

Babar is already a top 5 bat all formats combined. List in below order:

Smith
Kohli
Babar
Kane
Root

Babar has potential to be best ever batsman from Pakistan and a sure ATG.

Top player.

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

If it’s just on the basis of how good they look, Babar is already ahead of Kohli and all other batsmen in the world. On the basis of stats and actual game, he will displace Kohli in the next 3 years as the best batsman all formats combined.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

What does Babar have to do to take his game one step higher and become an international all time great? I feel he has the potential since he is hardworking, he just needs to be consistent, rack up the runs, and maybe win Pakistan a World Cup

 

[DRsohail]

If it’s just on the basis of how good they look, Babar is already ahead of Kohli and all other batsmen in the world. On the basis of stats and actual game, he will displace Kohli in the next 3 years as the best batsman all formats combined.

KOhli has 70 plis hundreds behind him. No way Babar can surpass him.

 

[Bezli]

Moody looking for a job with PCB.

 

[Ab Fan]

Aesthetically, Babar is better IMO. But right now these comparisons are pointless. Babar has just started hitting peak and has a long way to go.

These are lockdown days and I think only because of that, these comparisons are getting over-board.

 

[Bezli]

Aesthetically, Babar is better IMO. But right now these comparisons are pointless. Babar has just started hitting peak and has a long way to go.

These are lockdown days and I think only because of that, these comparisons are getting over-board.

Or or or Moody knows the talent.

 

[Mesozoic]

Kohli isn't that aesthetically pleasing to be honest. Rohit takes the cake in that regards. No other batsman in the world can look that good when smashing them short balls over square leg or point.

 

[Hawkeye]

As the poster above said, Kohli isn't the best when it comes to elegance and looking good while playing the shots.

But yeah he's miles better than Smith who has an ugly technique.

 

[FreePalestine]

Disagree with [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] and [MENTION=151350]Mesozoic[/MENTION], for me, Kohli is a very aesthetically pleasing batsman. Especially when he is in form and using those miracle wrists or when he is cover driving in form.

But I also agree with the majority here that Babar is more aesthetically pleasing than Kohli

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Rahane is more aesthetically pleasing than kohli, just watch his innings vs aus in 2014 where he and kohli tore johnson apart.
As a test batsman i think rahane is more pleasing to eyes than any other bat in the world.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Babars 30 odd vs Australia in wc 2019 was one of the most elegant innings i have seen. Short but sweet.

 

[FreePalestine]

Moody looking for a job with PCB.

Just listening to the podcast now. I really don’t rate Moody’s cricketing acumen. Lots of things he is saying I don’t agree with. A superficial understanding of many things.

 

[Firebat]

Kohli is one of the best batsmen of this era undoubtedly, but you have to say Babar is the more aesthetically pleasing, it's beautiful to watch his stroke play in top form.

Babars 30 odd vs Australia in wc 2019 was one of the most elegant innings i have seen. Short but sweet.

I couldn't agree more. Finch kept choosing to leave the covers open in the hope of nicking him off early but he just kept nailing that textbook cover drive every time. Then he put a few fielders in the covers and Babar was still finding the middle of the bat and the gaps to perfection. Magnificent.

 

[Mesozoic]

Disagree with [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] and [MENTION=151350]Mesozoic[/MENTION], for me, Kohli is a very aesthetically pleasing batsman. Especially when he is in form and using those miracle wrists or when he is cover driving in form.

But I also agree with the majority here that Babar is more aesthetically pleasing than Kohli

Dhawan , Rohit, KL, Babar, Roy, Butler etc all are more pleasing than the Fab 4. Even Soumya Sarkar looks better to watch.

 

[jaisan]

Even dinesh karthik is aesthatically better than Kohli.

 

[Slog]

Babars 30 odd vs Australia in wc 2019 was one of the most elegant innings i have seen. Short but sweet.

Man that was pure poetry in motion.

I agree it was probably one of the most pleasing 20-25 minutes of batting I have ever seen

 

[andy0204]

Dhawan , Rohit, KL, Babar, Roy, Butler etc all are more pleasing than the Fab 4. Even Soumya Sarkar looks better to watch.

Disagree Williamson,Root are more pleasing to watch than Kohli and Smith.

 

[Slog]

Dhawan , Rohit, KL, Babar, Roy, Butler etc all are more pleasing than the Fab 4. Even Soumya Sarkar looks better to watch.

Dhawan is a bit hacky.

From Fab 4 Kane is probably most pleasing and then Kohli.

Funnily enough I do find Smith exciting to watch tho. I feel it is very action packed with his thousand movements every delivery

 

[coy0607]

What does Babar have to do to take his game one step higher and become an international all time great? I feel he has the potential since he is hardworking, he just needs to be consistent, rack up the runs, and maybe win Pakistan a World Cup

He's already doing all of that (minus the WC, which 1 played can't do on his own). Its just a matter of sustaining it over the next few years now

 

[Slog]

On another note I’ve always felt Moody has one of the best cricketing brains ever. I never understood why India didn’t go for him as coach.

 

[andy0204]

Babars knock against New Zealand at World Cup is one of the best knocks I have seen,
Seaming conditions and Pakistan chances were on the line in the semifinal,truly a clutch knock.

 

[Mesozoic]

Disagree Williamson,Root are more pleasing to watch than Kohli and Smith.

I don't really find the fab 4 that pleasing to watch. Williamson is kinda okay and Kohli too I guess. Root looks like a tailender when he tries to slog one. The less we talk about Smith the better.

 

[FreePalestine]

Dhawan , Rohit, KL, Babar, Roy, Butler etc all are more pleasing than the Fab 4. Even Soumya Sarkar looks better to watch.

I guess its a matter of taste ultimately. I have seen some KL innings that were very pleasing on the eye. ABD as well, even though unconventional, was very elegant. Babar is class. Dhawan can sometimes look elegant but by left hander standards, not that much. Like nothing aesthetically compared to Anwar or Yuvraj. Rohit, Roy generally I don’t find that pleasing on the eye, though Rohit hooking and pulling is very good to watch.

Kohli is amazing to watch. Only Babar from modern batsmen, or maybe Williamson with the way he plays the ball so late. All three of these players always look very elegant when they bat. I am sure there are others, but these three come to mind.

 

[Asifnow]

Babar an md Williamson are in competition for most aesthetic batsmen.

 

[MMHS]

I am not sure from where or whom Moody found that people rates Kohli for his aesthetics!!!!! He is frightening may be, but aesthetically no Indian batsman comes even remotely close to KL now - most elegant Indian since Azhar.

Babar is aesthetically better than three of the Fab Fours right now. But that’s because not only he is pleasing (to watch), apart from Williamson, other three are just not there - Smith is ugly, Kohli ruthless, may be Root is just polished. Even AdV isn’t a treat to watch to be honest. I think, about four years back first time when the Fab Four term was used, I wrote that I like Will most, still do - not necessarily he is the best of the four, but there was a reason for it. This is one reason I have all the praises for Viv, but soft corner for Greg - a driving on the rise Greg Chapplle hardly ever can be matched aesthetically.

Babar’s Cover drives actually reminds me of Azharuddin at his elegant best. And, his back-foot punch through covers does resemble a certain Aussie, batting when I was growing as kid there down under. As a batsman, still long way to reach Kohli though - might not happen ever; Babar doesn’t have the appetite for big hundreds, something is must if you are to be a master batsman.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Dhawan , Rohit, KL, Babar, Roy, Butler etc all are more pleasing than the Fab 4. Even Soumya Sarkar looks better to watch.

Definition of inelegance.

 

[Mesozoic]

Definition of inelegance.

To each their own I guess. Some of Roy's shots look quite classy. Dhawan's off drives are no slouch either. Anyways my point was that it doesn't take much to outdo Kohli's in terms of elegance.

 

[Rayyman]

I am not sure from where or whom Moody found that people rates Kohli for his aesthetics!!!!! He is frightening may be, but aesthetically no Indian batsman comes even remotely close to KL now - most elegant Indian since Azhar.

Babar is aesthetically better than three of the Fab Fours right now. But that’s because not only he is pleasing (to watch), apart from Williamson, other three are just not there - Smith is ugly, Kohli ruthless, may be Root is just polished. Even AdV isn’t a treat to watch to be honest. I think, about four years back first time when the Fab Four term was used, I wrote that I like Will most, still do - not necessarily he is the best of the four, but there was a reason for it. This is one reason I have all the praises for Viv, but soft corner for Greg - a driving on the rise Greg Chapplle hardly ever can be matched aesthetically.

Babar’s Cover drives actually reminds me of Azharuddin at his elegant best. And, his back-foot punch through covers does resemble a certain Aussie, batting when I was growing as kid there down under. As a batsman, still long way to reach Kohli though - might not happen ever; Babar doesn’t have the appetite for big hundreds, something is must if you are to be a master batsman.

Haris Sohail is Pakistan’s most elegant batsman.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

As the poster above said, Kohli isn't the best when it comes to elegance and looking good while playing the shots.

But yeah he's miles better than Smith who has an ugly technique.

Agreed in terms of aesthetics but I actually have more fun watching Smith’s bad technique than I do Kohli

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Not sure why we didn't hire Tom Moody

I agree with
Azzam has the best cover drive in cricket
Haider plays alot better straight down though
Kane Williamson doesn't look great on the eye

Joe root bat's a bit like James Taylor, very good textbook shots


Ian Bell was the most aesthetic looking Batsman I've seen in my lifetime after kohli

 

[Nikhil_cric]

It's his timing. Nobody times the ball as sweetly as Bobby does , especially in white ball cricket.

 

[sshakir411]

Aesthetically, Babar is better IMO. But right now these comparisons are pointless. Babar has just started hitting peak and has a long way to go.

These are lockdown days and I think only because of that, these comparisons are getting over-board.

Tbf Moody does say “good to watch”. No where does he imply that Babar is better or will have a brighter future. This comment is all based on aesthetics

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Tom Moody is a good coach. Not sure why Sri Lanka got rid of him?

 

[Darkrai]

Babar Azam's cover drive against Australia in the WC was batting at its most beautiful.

 

[MenInG]

Whatever Babar Azam's skill level is compared to Kohli, the fact is that its great news for him that he is regularly being compared to Kohli - that should inspire him to better things, hopefully.

 

[Saj]

The Kohli comparisons aren't doing Babar any favours.

It's a good thing though that he's level-headed and not bothered at all about the comparisons.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brighten up your day with some brilliance from Babar Azam <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/eK0pZgSifa">pic.twitter.com/eK0pZgSifa</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1259134342581948419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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