Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt has shared his thoughts on the comparison between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Kohli, who needs no introduction, is one of the best batters of modern-day cricket. At present, he is the only player to average 50-plus across formats.
Similarly, Babar has built his image as one of the most delightful batsmen to watch out for in the current period. Due to his supreme consistency in all three formats, many former cricketers and experts of the game have become his fan.
Speaking on the red-hot topic, Salman opined that the two players should not be compared because Babar is still in the learning phase while Kohli has gained an amount of experience under his pocket. Salman reckoned that the comparison between the two is completely unfair because Kohli enjoys tremendous support from other players on the side. In contrast, Babar is a lone warrior in the team.
“There is no comparison between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. The Indian captain is very experienced, and Babar Azam is relatively new. The Pakistan skipper has been performing well, but there is still a long way to go for him,” said Salman on his YouTube channel.
“But Babar Azam doesn’t have the support around him, which can convert his performances into match-winning ones. Kohli, though, has a complete framework. He has a cluster of outstanding players around him. India can win even if Kohli fails because there are others in the team, who are capable of winning games for them,” he added.
The cricketer-turned-analyst explained that Babar has only one support in the form of Mohammad Rizwan and the team is overly dependent on the duo.
“At the moment, Babar Azam is young, doesn’t have that much experience and exposure as Kohli. Secondly, he is almost like a lone performer in the team. He has the support of (Mohammad Rizwan), but the others only perform once in a while. Babar Azam scores run, yet he has to face criticism, which is double jeopardy. It is the machinery that has to work; one man cannot make a difference. It is a team game after all,” Salman added further.
