"Would pick Babar Azam over Virat Kohli in LOIs based upon current form": Adil Rashid

[Titan24]

Adil Rashid, the England spinner, has made the bold statement of claiming he would pick Pakistan’s limited-overs skipper Babar Azam over Indian captain Virat Kohli were he to select a cricketing XI.

While 31-year-old Kohli is widely rated as the current best batsmen in the world across all formats, 25-year-old Babar has been labelled as the next big thing in batting.

“Ahhh, it’s a tough one. Well, it’s a tough one,” the leg-spinner, who won the World Cup in 2019, said on At the Crease TV. “You got to go on the current form. I think I got to go for Babar Azam on current form. I am talking form here. I say Babar Azam is in better form so I picked Babar Azam. But they both are world-class players anyway.”

Kohli experienced a rare dip in form this year before the coronavirus pandemic brought a halt to all cricket action. He managed just 218 runs in 11 innings across formats in India’s tour of New Zealand.

Babar, on the other hand, had scored a masterful 143 in the only Test he played this year against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. He was then in a fine run of form at the Pakistan Super League, scoring 345 runs at an average of 49.29 before the suspension of the league.

https://gulfnews.com/sport/cricket/...at-kohli-says-englands-adil-rashid-1.71515180

 

[Titan24]

Adil Rashid’s World XI: Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Eoin Morgan ©, Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Mitchell Starc, Imran Tahir, Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada.

 

[Titan24]

Agree with the rest of Xi pretty much but would select either Amir, Bumrah or Shaheen over Rabada.

 

[Rajdeep]

Would pick Babar Azam over Virat Kohli based on current form: Adil Rashid

LONDON: England spinner Adil Rashid has said that on the basis of current form, he would pick Pakistan's limited-overs skipper Babar Azam over Indian captain Virat Kohli.

While 31-year-old Kohli is widely rated as the current best batsman in the world across formats, 25-year-old Babar has been hailed by commentators and experts as the next big thing in batting.

"Ahhh... it's a tough one. Well, it's a tough one. So you got to go on the current form... I think I got to go for Babar Azam on current form. I am taking form here...I say Babar Azam is in better form so I picked Babar Azam. But they both are world class players anyway," the leg-spinner, who won the World Cup in 2019, said during an interview with At the Crease TV.

Kohli has experienced a rare dip in form this year before the coronavirus pandemic brought a halt to all cricket action. He managed just 218 runs in 11 innings across formats in India's tour of New Zealand.

Babar, on the other hand, had scored a masterful 143 in the only Test he played this year against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. He was then in a fine run of form at the Pakistan Super League, scoring 345 runs at an average of 49.29 before the suspension of the league.

https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/c...form-adil-rashid/amp_articleshow/75757243.cms

 

[Rajdeep]

Looks like Kohli's dreadful series in NZ has taken a hit to his stock.

 

[Slog]

On current form obviously it’s a no brainer if you look at last two series for both.

 

[Shutdown Corner]

To be honest Kohli had a pretty lacklustre world cup. Babar on the other hand really stepped up.

 

[Gullycricket]

Babar over the bottler any day. Great choice adil

 

[Bhaijaan]

Kohli is a nobody in world cups.

Babar's real competition is with Sachin

 

[Mesozoic]

On current form, most people will pick Labuschagne over Smith. Don't know what's the fuss' about.

 

[Rajdeep]

To be honest Kohli had a pretty lacklustre world cup. Babar on the other hand really stepped up.

I wont call it a lacklustre but it was avg based on the standard he sets. I mean he scored 443 runs in the world cup.

vs SA - 18
vs Aus - 82
vs Pak - 77
vs Afg - 67
vs WI - 72
vs Eng - 66
vs BD - 26
vs SL - 34
SEMI - 1

 

[Bhaijaan]

I wont call it a lacklustre but it was avg based on the standard he sets. I mean he scored 443 runs in the world cup.

vs SA - 18
vs Aus - 82
vs Pak - 77
vs Afg - 67
vs WI - 72
vs Eng - 66
vs BD - 26
vs SL - 34
SEMI - 1

Not one dominant game

Just like in 2015

And in 2011


Legs be honest, Kohli has been average in 3 world cups, that is as many world cups in which Tendulkar was the batsman in.

 

[Mesozoic]

Babar over the bottler any day. Great choice adil

The bottler was top scorer in a WT20 final, CT final and two WT20 semi finals he's played in.

Meanwhile Babar has zero 50s in ICC Knockouts (till now).

 

[Rajdeep]

Babar over the bottler any day. Great choice adil

I think this 'bottler' term is overstated. First lets agree and I am sure you will too that he is a constant scorer in league matches. Its only the knockouts where he has faltered. I hope he fix this issue and I am sure he will. Due to bad luck Kohli has mostly found himself on wrong side of the coin in most of these knock out matches.

Lets agree, chasing in a big knock out games are much tougher than batting first.

World cup 2015 - Smith gets to bat first but Kohli was left with chasing 328 under lights against Johnson, Starc, Hazelwood & co.

Champions trophy final 2017 - Left with chasing 334 against a rampaging Amir & Hassan Ali.

Semi final 2019 - 2 day game, overnight rain, break in momentum, tricky chase.

Not making any excuse but I would love to see how Smith or Babar fares in those situations. I would love to see India batting first in next knock out match and then we will find out who is real bottler.

If anything, Smith's boring 85 off 119 balls while batting 1st is the main reason Australia lost the semi final in 2019.

 

[Bigboii]

I think this 'bottler' term is overstated. First lets agree and I am sure you will too that he is a constant scorer in league matches. Its only the knockouts where he has faltered. I hope he fix this issue and I am sure he will. Due to bad luck Kohli has mostly found himself on wrong side of the coin in most of these knock out matches.

Lets agree, chasing in a big knock out games are much tougher than batting first.

World cup 2015 - Smith gets to bat first but Kohli was left with chasing 328 under lights against Johnson, Starc, Hazelwood & co.

Champions trophy final 2017 - Left with chasing 334 against a rampaging Amir & Hassan Ali.

Semi final 2019 - 2 day game, overnight rain, break in momentum, tricky chase.

Not making any excuse but I would love to see how Smith or Babar fares in those situations. I would love to see India batting first in next knock out match and then we will find out who is real bottler.

If anything, Smith's boring 85 off 119 balls while batting 1st is the main reason Australia lost the semi final in 2019.

Smith is garbage in lois no comparison and Babar is good I love the guy but I think he needs a couple more icc tournament to truly be in the same league but the nz innings was legendary it'll go down in history as one of the greatest knocks

 

[Bigboii]

The bottler was top scorer in a WT20 final, CT final and two WT20 semi finals he's played in.

Meanwhile Babar has zero 50s in ICC Knockouts (till now).

Tbf he is basically carrying a pathetic team so not a fair comparison tbh

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

On current form, most people will pick Labuschagne over Smith. Don't know what's the fuss' about.

It's ok bro.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Not one dominant game

Just like in 2015

And in 2011


Legs be honest, Kohli has been average in 3 world cups, that is as many world cups in which Tendulkar was the batsman in.

Agree about dominant game. Sachin was on a different level in World Cups. Those who have actually watched him play in 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cups know that.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

2 British Pakistanis in England's 2019 World Cup winning squad. No Indians. So Pakistan beat India ) given Ish Sodhi was the Indian Kiwi in the squad for the final.

 

[Rana]

On current form, most people will pick Labuschagne over Smith. Don't know what's the fuss' about.

Glass always half full for you Pro Indian agenda

 

[Bhaijaan]

Agree about dominant game. Sachin was on a different level in World Cups. Those who have actually watched him play in 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cups know that.

Cheers finally we agree on something lala

Frightening thing is he was spectacular in 2011 world cup

2007 he barely played 3 games at #4

1992 he was too young still some good outing

What a world cup player yaaar

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Glass always half full for you Pro Indian agenda

He gets hurt pretty quickly lol. Just can't take any criticism or different opinions.

 

[andy0204]

I think this 'bottler' term is overstated. First lets agree and I am sure you will too that he is a constant scorer in league matches. Its only the knockouts where he has faltered. I hope he fix this issue and I am sure he will. Due to bad luck Kohli has mostly found himself on wrong side of the coin in most of these knock out matches.

Lets agree, chasing in a big knock out games are much tougher than batting first.

World cup 2015 - Smith gets to bat first but Kohli was left with chasing 328 under lights against Johnson, Starc, Hazelwood & co.

Champions trophy final 2017 - Left with chasing 334 against a rampaging Amir & Hassan Ali.

Semi final 2019 - 2 day game, overnight rain, break in momentum, tricky chase.

Not making any excuse but I would love to see how Smith or Babar fares in those situations. I would love to see India batting first in next knock out match and then we will find out who is real bottler.

If anything, Smith's boring 85 off 119 balls while batting 1st is the main reason Australia lost the semi final in 2019.

Did you actually watch that match,wickets were falling like a pack of cards,Smith alone was holding that sinking ship.
If anything,Bowlers are mostly to blame in that match especially Starc.