Compare Babar Azam with others when he retires, expresses former Pakistan coach Waqar Younis

Pakistan skipper and batting star Babar Azam has often been compared to the greats in his short career already.

Azam, who has been chasing down former India captain Virat Kohli's record in white-ball cricket, is the number one batter in T20Is and ODIs according to ICC Rankings, something that the latter was synonymous.

Now, former Pakistan player and head coach Waqar Younis has urged fans and people to stop comparing Azam to other greats, given his small sample size.

"Babar Azam in modern day cricket looks a million dollars and he is definitely as good as all the big names. But all those greats have their own strengths and their own class and all of them played in different eras and we should not forget that. 

Babar is still very young and has plenty of cricket ahead of him and once he has retired you can perhaps sit down and start comparing him with others,” Younis said to ICC Digital. 

Azam has notched up 17 ODI hundreds in 89 matches, amassing 4,442 runs at an average of 59.22.

In the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League, Azam has scored 1,083 runs at an average of 83.30, with six centuries and four half-centuries.

Waqar Younis backs Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan

The 50-year-old picked Azam and keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as key to Pakistan's success in Australia.

"Babar is definitely going to be the key batter at the top of the order. I think he (Babar) will have the impact that he has always had and then of course Mohammad Rizwan is playing very well and the bowling attack they have got it one of the best in the world," Younis added.

Younis, who worked as a bowling coach in his last stint with Pakistan national side, feels that the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf could also be game-changers.

"We have tried about six or seven fast bowlers in the last year or so and they are all going really well. I feel that Haris Rauf and Shaheen (Afridi) will be pivotal, but let's not forget Hasan Ali either as he has been bowling very decent. Pakistan's fast bowling attack is very good and they can mix it up with Shadab and Nawaz as they are good spinners also,” adds Younis.

Younis also believes that under Azam's captaincy Pakistan have the potential to lift the ICC T20 World Cup Down Under in October.

"We stand a really good chance of doing well at this World Cup. The pitches in Australia are generally very good batting pitches and Pakistan do have good batters who can really play well in these conditions," the former Pakistan captain concluded.