Babar Azam better batsman than Virat Kohli: Pakistan batting prodigy Haider Ali

Pakistan batsman Haider Ali strung up some impressive performances at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup and in the now-postponed Pakistan Super League (PSL 2020) season. He is widely tipped to become the next big thing in Pakistan cricket with many experts already comparing him to the likes of prolific run-scorer Babar Azam. While speaking with a Pakistan-based news portal, Haider Ali implied that Babar Azam is a better batsman than Indian captain Virat Kohli because the Pakistani batter can play “good shots”.

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Haider Ali wants to be called as Babar Azam and not Virat Kohli

In the interview, Ali said that he wants to keep making improvements on his batting to the extent that people can start acknowledging him as Babar Azam and not as Virat Kohli. He cited the reason that Azam has a better range of “good shots” than his Indian counterpart. However, he also said that while he cannot become like Virat Kohli, he can certainly develop a few skills like him through practice.

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Haider Ali also recalled the time when he met Babar Azam for the first time during a first-class tournament. He said that he learnt a lot from Azam at the Lahore’s National Cricket Academy. He added that the experienced Pakistani batsman also supported him during the recently-postponed PSL 2020 season. Meanwhile, Ali represented Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2020 and Babar Azam was Karachi Kings’ leading batsman in terms of runs scored in the tournament.

Also Read | Babar Azam Calls Virat Kohli A 'legend,' Aspires To Get To His Position One Day

PSL 2020

The PSL 2020 was scheduled to be played in Pakistan from February 20 to March 22. However, the tournament got postponed until further notice in wake of the ongoing worldwide panic caused by the coronavirus. The remaining fixtures lined-up are the two unscheduled semi-finals and a final.

Also Read | Pakistan U-19 Batsman Haider Ali Says Good Show Against India Has Made Him Confident