Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan believes that a comparison between Babar Azam and Indian captain Virat Kohli is not fair at this point. He has said that while Kohli is at the peak of his powers, the Pakistan batsman has been in the sport for only five years.
Virat Kohli is widely regarded as the best batsman in modern-day cricket across all the formats of the game. Babar Azam, meanwhile, is touted as the 'next big thing' in world cricket when it comes to batting.
Taking to Gulf News, Younis heaped praise on Kohli.
"You see, Kohli - who is now 31 and at the peak of his career - has been in international cricket for over a decade and has proved himself in all conditions. The 70 international centuries that he has scored is a testimony to his class and abilities," said Younis.
"Babar, on the other hand, made his international debut barely five years back. He already has 16 centuries under his belt and shows very good averages in both Tests and ODIs, but it will be unfair to start comparing the two right now. If you have to, compare Babar five years (from now) with the dominance that Kohli is showing in his game today."
However, the former Pakistan batsman believes that Babar Azam has shown promising signs so far.
"Babar made his debut during the last two to three years of my career and I was really impressed by his humility. I have always felt that the more humble you are, you can achieve bigger goals in your life," he said.
"It's a young team that he has to lead, though there could be a few players senior in age to him. He has to be protective about the team and take it forward," he advised.
The 25-year-old Pakistan batsman was recently appointed as the captain of the ODI team. He already leads Pakistan in the shortest format of the game.
The cricket action is currently suspended due to the outbreak of coronavirus. However, PCB CEO Wasim Khan said on Saturday that Pakistan have 'agreed on principle' to tour England in July-August for three-match Test and T20I series.
(With inputs from IANS)
