Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt believes comparisons between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are premature. He feels Babar is new to the arena whereas Kohli has proved himself over the years.
Babar Azam toppled Virat Kohli from the top of the ODI rankings. He has been quite consistent for Pakistan in the last couple of years but is yet to reach the levels of the Indian skipper, according to Salman Butt.
“There is no comparison between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. The Indian captain is very experienced and Babar is relatively new. The Pakistan skipper has been performing well but there is still a long way to go for him,” he noted.
While Mohammad Rizwan has been on the rise recently, Salman Butt asserted Babar lacks support from his batting partners. Kohli on the other hand has other match-winners to depend on if he fails to perform.
“Babar Azam doesn’t have proper support around him. Kohli doesn’t have the same problem. He has a number of outstanding players around him. India can win even if Kohli fails because there are others in the team who are capable of winning games for them,” Butt noted.
“Babar Azam is a world-class player and he will only get better” – Salman Butt
Salman Butt went on to explain how the Pakistani skipper will be criticized no matter what he does. Even though he stacks up a huge amount of runs, his role as a captain will be judged. Butt also believes just one man doing all the hard work won’t benefit the team or the player.
While Team India under Virat Kohli plays a lot of matches, Babar Azam’s Pakistan hasn’t been able to do so and Salman Butt brings up the same point. He argues Babar Azam hasn’t showcased his full repertoire yet but is capable of doing so in the future.
“Babar Azam has been in top-class form for two years and has been scoring consistently. But Pakistan has played 10 one-dayers in the last three years, so how many opportunities did he have? And how can there be a comparison? Babar still has a lot to learn. He is a world-class player already and will only get better,” Butt concluded.
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