Virat Kohli Comparisons Taking Toll on Babar Azam, Claims Former Pakistan Player
Ahmed Shehzad says constant comparisons with Virat Kohli have hurt Babar Azam’s form.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad believes constant comparisons with Virat Kohli have played a major role in Babar Azam’s decline in form. Shehzad says these parallels have created unnecessary pressure, making it harder for Babar to perform at his best.
Babar’s last century came in the Asia Cup 2023 against Nepal, where he scored 151 off 131 balls. Since then, he has gone 72 innings across formats without a hundred, managing 2,139 runs at an average of 31.45 with 18 fifties.
His struggles have been most evident in recent series, including scores of 0 and 9 in the ODIs against West Indies, and he has even lost his place in Pakistan’s T20I side.
“When things were going well, people were running campaigns comparing players. Now, when performances aren’t there, they say, ‘Don’t compare players.’ Why? Virat Kohli is in a league of his own… Comparisons are unfair and only add unnecessary pressure, which is evident in Babar Azam’s current form,” Shehzad told GeoSuper.
Shehzad praised Kohli as the standout batter and athlete of this generation, saying he cannot be compared even to MS Dhoni, despite Dhoni’s success as a captain.
According to him, such lofty comparisons have set unrealistic expectations for Babar.
