Babar Azam is certainly a part of the 'Fab four or Fab five': Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson's unbeaten knock of 133 against South Africa helped New Zealand to qualify for the finals of the Pakistan Tri-Nation Series.
New Zealand's star batter Kane Williamson has heaped praise on Pakistan's icon Babar Azam, stating that he belongs to the elite group of batters known as the 'Fab Four' or even the 'Fab Five.' Williamson mentioned Babar's consistent performances across all formats, terming him as a world-class player.
The term 'Fab Four' has long been associated with Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Williamson himself, four batters who have dominated international cricket over the past decade. However, with Babar’s achievements, many experts and former cricketers believe that the club should expand to the 'Fab Five' to accommodate the Pakistani star.
Despite having some inconsistent performances over the past 18 months, the right-hand batter's numbers remain impressive. He has 31 international centuries to his name but has not reached the three-figure mark since May 2023. Meanwhile, Williamson is convinced of Babar's class and regards him as a top-order batter.
"Babar Azam is certainly a part of the ‘Fab Four’ or ‘Fab Five,’ which consists of some of the finest players in the game. He is a world-class batter who consistently delivers for his team," he told to press as quoted by CricketPakistan.pk
The pitch was definitely a better surface [to bat] today: Kane Williamson
The Kiwi batter himself has been in fine form, recently scoring an unbeaten 133 against South Africa, helping his side chase down 305 runs with ease in the second ODI of the ongoing Pakistan Tri-Nation Series. His partnership of 187 runs with Devon Conway played an important role in the victory. Reflecting on the match, Williamson mentioned how the pitch conditions improved under lights, making batting easier in the second innings.
"The pitch was definitely a better surface [to bat] today. For whatever reason, I'm not sure. That's part of some of the good learnings, really - different times of the day going into the evening. It came onto the bat quite nicely and it still took a little bit of turn. So it's quite interesting; it's the sort of wicket where if you're able to get breakthroughs, you can apply some pressure. But it was nice we were able to build those partnerships and break the back of the chase.
Meanwhile Babar, despite his exceptional track record, has faced criticism due to his recent performances. In the tri-series opener against New Zealand, he managed only 10 runs off 23 balls in Pakistan's 78-run loss at the Gaddafi Stadium.
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