The former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has reignited the debate of the best four batsmen in the world at present. More than over a decade, India's Virat Kohli, Australia's Steve Smith, New Zealand's Kane Williamson, and England's Joe Root have formed the famous quartet. But according to Chopra, Smith and Root doesn't stand a chance to be in the top four considering their performances across formats. 

Root's form with the bat has been a talking point in the country after the Test captain failed to lead his side from the front. He has been dropped from the T20I side and he recently admitted that his place in T20 World Cup looks doubtful. On the other hand, Smith has been one of the leading batsmen in red-ball cricket taking the stage by storm but his return in ODIs and T20Is is still not up to the mark. 

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With both Joe Root and Steve Smith struggling to perform to the best of their abilities in all three formats, Aakash Chopra has named a new fab four. The cricketer-turned analyst picked India's Rohit Sharma and Pakistan's Babar Azam in the new fab four alongside Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson. 

“I would keep Pakistan’s Babar Azam in the fab four. He stands shoulder to shoulder with India’s Virat Kohli. He is the number one batsman in T20Is, number-three in ODIs and number five in Test cricket. If you are in the top five in all three formats than how can you not be in the fab four of world cricket? He should be included in the fab four a 120 per cent,” said Aakash Chopra before naming Rohit Sharma in the list too while speaking on his YouTube channel.

“When we talk about the fab four of the world we talk about Australia’s Steve Smith, England’s Joe Root, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and India’s Virat Kohli. Everyone around the globe believes that these are the most talented batsmen in the world,” Chopra continued.

“That is why they are the current fab four of international cricket. But is this right? In Test cricket you could maybe agree but there are challengers as well. But why don’t we look across three formats? I think if we look across all three formats a new fab four can be made,” Chopra concluded. 

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