 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Pakistan great Zaheer Abbas feels the comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are baseless as the Indian superstar is a lot more consistent than the under-fire Pakistan batter.
Once regarded as part of the 'Fab Five' including Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson, Babar is currently enduring an extended slump in form.
"Yeh fizool ki baatein hai (the comparisons are pointless). Virat Kohli scores in every match the other player (Babar) doesn't score in any match, so then how can you compare? The person who scores, he is the bigger player," Abbas told PTI on the sidelines of the Cricket Predicta Conclave in Ajman, UAE.
Kohli has 80 international hundreds to his name while the much younger Babar has scored 31 centuries across formats.
Abbas also acknowledged the consistency displayed by India across formats and said the Rohit Sharma-led team will be a strong contender for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
"Indian team overall is very good. Their batters are doing well and the bowlers both are good. It is a very balanced team, one that plays soch samajh kar (thoughtfully)," said Abbas.
"They have a very good captain, who understands cricket very well. So, when everything is going in your favour it is smooth sailing. That's the case with India right now.
"There is a very good chance of them doing well (at the Champions Trophy) because they have a balanced team," the 77-year-old said.
Hailed as the 'Asian Bradman' for insatiable appetite for runs, Abbas was one of the most elegant batters of his time. He played 78 Tests and 62 ODIs for Pakistan, accumulating 5062 and 2572 runs respectively.