Former South African player AB de Villers has shown his admiration for Pakistan skipper Babar Azam ahead of India vs. Pakistan clash at Kandy in Pallekele on Saturday.
“I love talking about Babar Azam because he is one of the best players we have ever seen play this game and not just now. He is a huge rock in the Pakistan batting order. If India wants to keep Pakistan quiet, this is the guy to dismiss early because he keeps the batting lineup together and acts as a glue in the Pakistan middle-order,” he said.
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De Villers has praised Babar for his versatility in different formats and his ability to deal with different kinds of bowling attacks as well. The South African also acknowledged that for Pakistan to be successful their skipper would play key role with the bat.
“I met him first when he [Babar] was very young but quickly realized that this guy is here to stay. He has hurt bowling attacks all around the world and in all formats. He is a fantastic player and Pakistan need him in form for the Asia Cup and most importantly, for the World Cup,” he concluded.
The Pakistan captain broke a record on Wednesday when he scored his 19th ODI in the inaugural of the Asia Cup against Nepal. He became the fastest player to achieve the 19 hundreds surpassing South Africa’s Hasim Amla who took 104 innings while Babar did it in 102. Kohli took 124 innings to do the same.
indianexpress.com
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