Babar Azam has the potential to beat Virat Kohli: Ramiz Raja

Babar Azam has made the headlines ever since he has made his international debut thanks to his excellent batting skills. He is currently in the top five of the ICC Rankings in all three formats and is the only player to do so. No wonder he is being compared to India skipper Virat Kohli by the sheer numbers he has achieved so far in his career.

Rather the former Pakistan cricketer and now a renowned commentator Ramiz Raja believes that Babar has the ability to even go past Kohli. But he feels that Pakistan’s T20 captain has to get an encouraging environment around him to be the best in the world. Ramiz also pointed out that Babar Azam needs to think about only winning the game for Pakistan and play freely.

“For Babar Azam, [the] sky is the limit. Until and unless he gets the environment which is encouraging and engaging, he won’t be able to live up to his potential. He has the potential to even beat Virat Kohli but he needs to free up [his mind] and not think about losing. As soon as he does that and thinks about scoring runs and winning, he will remain a great player for a very long time,” Ramiz Raja was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

Babar Azam – Pakistan’s best batsman across formats

While there are various opinions over Babar Azam’s comparison with Virat Kohli, it is certain that the former has a great future. He is only in his fifth year in international cricket and has a very long way to go even match the Indian captain. But the glimpses the 25-year-old has shown in his batting have been truly magnificent and it is always a treat to watch him bat.

Babar Azam averages a staggering 54.18 in the ODIs after playing 74 matches and has amassed 3359 runs so far with 11 centuries and 15 fifties. His consistency in the shortest format of the game leaves many in awe. He has mustered 1471 runs in just 38 innings in the T20Is with as many as 13 half-centuries.

However, when it comes to the Test format, he is getting better. Currently, he averages 45.12 after 26 Tests and recently had a brilliant Australia tour. Babar Azam himself will be itching to living up to his potential in the purest form of the game in the years to come.