'He can do what Virat Kohli has...': Says Misbah ul Haq to Babar Azam

image-lhg6e3p7Babar Azam (Twitter)

Misbah ul Haq, a former Pakistani cricketer, has expressed his belief that Babar Azam has the potential to become a legendary cricketer for Pakistan, breaking multiple records along the way. Babar is currently the captain of Pakistan's T20, ODI and Test teams, and has already proven himself to be a world-class batsman in all formats of the game. 

In the recent ODI series against New Zealand, Babar achieved a new milestone by becoming the fastest player to score 5,000 runs in ODI cricket, surpassing the previous record set by Hashim Amla of South Africa who achieved the feat in 101 innings, while Babar reached it in just 97 innings.

“The technique and elegance in his batting, and the runs he has scored makes him one of the best in the world.He’s got excellent work ethic. He’s a hard worker, analysing the game and handling the pressure. He takes his practicing and perfecting his skills to a new level. He’s got all the ingredients to become a Pakistani cricketing great," he further added.

Misbah, who holds the record for the most successful Test captain for Pakistan, having won 26 out of 56 matches, anticipated that Babar Azam, who has won 8 out of 18 matches as captain across all formats of the game, will surpass his record and achieve even more victories in the future, setting new records along the way.

In an exchange between him and The National he said,"Babar can break all the records as a captain and as a cricketer."

Babar Azam has an outstanding record across all formats of cricket. He has scored a total of 3,696 runs in 47 Test matches, with an average of 48.63. In One Day Internationals (ODIs), he has scored 5,089 runs at an average of 59.17. In Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), he has scored 3,485 runs at an average of 41.48.

ul Haq thinks that Babar Azam has the capability to create an impact in cricket similar to that of another legendary batsman who is still actively playing and making his mark on the sport.

"Babar has a touch of class and grace in his batting. He will be one of the top run-getters for Pakistan when he finally ends his career. He has that kind of potential. If he players for the next eight to 10 years he can do what Virat Kohli has done for India.”