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'Matching Babar With Smith Is Like Matching Smith with Virat Kohli': Usman Khawaja

Vishal Mehra

image-lpkvmersBabar Azam scored Test ton at Gabba in 2019 [X.com]

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After a gruelling few months of white-ball cricket, Test cricket returns as Australia clashes swords with Pakistan in a three-Test series at home next month.

Australia, who are also the current ICC WTC champions, start their title defence at Perth on December 14 in Perth against Shan Masood-led Pakistan, which will have a mix of experience and youth. 

Opener Usman Khawaja speaking ahead of the Test series, called the touring Pakistan squad one of the strongest batting units in recent history to visit Australian shores. As quoted by CricketPakistan, Khawaja emphasised the role of former captain Babar Azam, who the former compared with Steve Smith and Virat Kohli. 

Here's what Khawaja said

"Pakistan is one of the better teams in the world. They have good batting and always have great fast bowlers. Looking at the past teams, I think this is the strongest Pakistan batting lineup coming over. Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in the world. Imam ul Haq and Abdullah Shafique has scored a lot of runs. I am very excited about this challenge."


"Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in all three formats. Steve Smith is the greatest batsman of our era. When they both will be playing here in the Benaud-Qadir series, it would be exciting. Matching Babar with Smith is almost like matching Smith with Kohli. One of the great things about Babar is he does not score only in Pakistan; he scores runs overseas as well. He has scored a hundred here in the past."

However, Azam has a mediocre Test record Down Under, having toured Australia twice (2016 and 2019), amassing 278 runs with one hundred, one fifty, and a solitary duck.