The 26-year old skipper of Pakistan Cricket team has always been compared with Indian skipper Virat Kohli. Now the newly appointed Test captain of Pakistan, Babar Azam himself opened up on his comparison with the Indian captain Virat Kohli.
Azam said that he is happy with the comparisons with the best players of his generation. At the same, he also said that he is quite aware of his status in international cricket.
The Pakistan skipper further said that he has set several benchmarks for himself and from time to time he keeps challenging his own performances as he is well aware that his main responsibility is to win matches for his side.
“I know. It does feel nice that you are compared to some very good players in the game. My mindset is that I challenge myself. I set myself targets. I set myself benchmarks. I have to win matches for Pakistan. And win matches which help the team.
Speaking further on his comparison with Kohli, the 26-year-old said that the comparisons with big players help him in setting goals. Being in the top five is a beautiful feeling for him as it gives him the confidence to play good cricket.
“Comparisons with big players also help you to set goals that match those of the big players. If your name figures in the top five of the world it is obviously a nice feeling. It also means that you have to keep performing to those standards and that boosts your confidence too. I like it,” the 26-year-old Lahore batsman said.
Further speaking on his fans in India, Azam said that he has many friends and fans in India. He also requested his fans in India to keep supporting and backing him.
“I have won fans with my performances and I have friends in India too. I also have fans in India and I request them to keep supporting me. To keep backing me,” said Babar Azam.
Babar Azam is regarded as one of the best players, especially in the limited-overs format. He is second-ranked T20I player in the world and has accumulated 1,681 runs at an average of 50.93. In ODIs and Tests, he is ranked third and fifth, respectively. Known for his sensational performance in white-ball cricket, Babar Azam also wishes similar recognition in the longest format.
“I would love to be known as a good red-ball cricketer,” he said.
