Babar Azam or Virat Kohli? - Mohammad Yousuf picks the better of the two batsmen

Over the last couple of years, parallels have drawn between India’s Virat Kohli and Pakistan’s Babar Azam. Both batters have shown immense consistency across all three formats of international cricket. Even as the Delhi-born Virat has already broken a number of records, Babar, at the age of 26, has sped up with some match-winning knocks at the highest level.

A number of pundits have opined on the duo. The latest among the experts to join the bandwagon is former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf. The veteran said that at Babar’s age, Virat’s numbers weren’t as good as the Lahore-born. However, he also opined that in order to be spoken in the same breath as Kohli, Babar needs to be a bit more consistent in Test cricket.

Babar Azam needs to be consistent for a longer period of time, says Yousuf

“Kohli has played much more cricket than Babar who has only about three to four years of exposure in international cricket. But yes, if you ask me to make a comparison based on where Kohli stood after the same number of matches that Babar has played, I would say Babar has done better,” Yousuf was quoted as saying in Times Now.

“Kohli is very committed that is why he is so successful and he has already got runs in every cricket playing nation. I felt captaincy had only made him a better player,” he stated.

“Babar did OK in the Test series against England bearing in mind England is not an easy place to come and play Test cricket. He just needs that consistency in Test cricket to be up there with the likes of Virat Kohli. Babar’s done that for 6 to 9 months so far, he just needs to be consistent for a longer period of time,” Hussain stated.

Babar is currently busy plying his trade in Pakistan’s home campaign against Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. In the first ODI, he failed but made a comeback with a half-century followed by a run-a-ball 125, though it came in a losing cause.

In the T20I series, he has 133 runs and has looked at his very best. In 43 T20Is, Babar has 1,681 runs with 16 half-centuries to show for his efforts. In ODIs and Tests combined, he has 5,600 runs with 17 tons and 31 fifties.