'Virat Kohli one of the greatest, Babar Azam yet to...': Ex-Pakistan cricketer denies any comparison
The comparison between the two has been a topic of discussion since Babar's entry into international cricket.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Mudassar Nazar emphasized the stark contrast between India's Virat Kohli and Pakistan's Babar Azam. In his analysis, Mudassar highlighted that Virat Kohli, the former Indian captain, is undeniably one of the greatest players in the history of cricket. On the other hand, he noted that Babar Azam still has significant room for growth and development in his career.
"I mean, there is a hell of a difference between the two players. Virat will be remembered as one of the greatest who has graced the game. Babar has still got to make a name for himself," Mudassar told PTI.
Virat Kohli recently achieved the milestone of being the fastest player to reach 27,000 international runs during the Test series against Bangladesh, which India emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. In contrast, Babar Azam has been facing difficulties in scoring runs across all formats for over a year now.
Mudassar Khan also commended Indian captain Rohit Sharma, stating that he could watch both Sharma and Kohli bat for hours on end.
"I love to watch Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. When they are at the peak and playing well, it is fantastic to watch them. You could sit in front of the TV for hours and just watch those two play," he added.
The former head coach of Pakistan expressed strong criticism regarding the current state of the Pakistan team. The team is currently without a limited-overs captain following Babar Azam's decision to resign from the position.
"It is our own doing (the friction between Babar and Shaheen). We shouldn't have messed around with the set-up," Mudassar told PTI on the sidelines of the 'Cricket Predicta Conclave' in Ajman, UAE.
"There was one set captain, we should have given him a longer term and if somebody else had been made a captain, then he should have had a decent go at it. And not been thrown out straight away."
The Pakistan cricket team seems to be on a downward trajectory, as evidenced by their lackluster performances at the 2023 ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup. Additionally, they recently experienced their first-ever Test series defeat to Bangladesh on home soil, leading to increased scrutiny from various sources.