Over the years, Team India skipper Virat Kohli has established himelf as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, and according to many, the best player of the current generation. Several pundits and former cricketers believe Kohli outshines all other across several formats of the game, even former Pakistani international Zaheer Abbas who puts him above Steve Smith. However, his compatriot and former cricketer Ramiz Raja thinks there is one player who hits it harder than the Indian captain, and it is young Pakistani cricketer Babar Azam.
Speaking to PTI in a recent interview, Ramiz Raja expressed his dissent towards the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who have been accused by many players of the country for letting spoilt cricketers make a return to international cricket, which in turn damages the image of the team.
Instead, the former opening batsman argued that youngsters like Babar Azam should be given the chance to prove their worth.
“There is no doubt about Babar Azam’s ability, he is a world-class player,” Raja told PTI.
The commentator went on stating that the young batsman, with the right conditions would give Kohli or Steve Smith a run for their money.
Raja continued: “When people ask me about comparison between Babar Azam with the likes of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith I would say he can do even better than Kohli but he needs a conducive atmosphere and the freedom to express himself more as a player and as captain.”
Azam made his international debut in 2016, and has been making consistent appearances for Pakistan across all three formats. The 25 year old batsman has earned 26 Test, 74 ODI and 28 T20I caps, and plays for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
While paying his respect towards the current seniors of the team, Raja felt that the shortest format of the game needed younger players.
“I have nothing personal against Muhammad Hafeez or Shoaib Malik who are senior players and have served the country for a long time. But I think now the selectors need to think about replacing them with youngsters and groom them properly,” the 57 year old added.
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