Birmingham: The first lesson Babar Azam learned from his coach was to play the first and last ball of a match, and he showed he had not forgotten that advice during his brilliant hundred against New Zealand.
Babar’s 10th one-day international century at Edgbaston on Wednesday — his eighth in a winning cause — has led to comparisons with Indian maestro Virat Kohli.
Pakistan’s batting coach Grant Flower certainly believes Babar has the X-factor.
“He is very special,” said Flower, after Babar’s unbeaten hundred helped Pakistan chase down a 238-run target for their third win at the World Cup.
“I believe he is going to be one of the best that Pakistan have ever produced. He’s really hungry, is fit and still very young at 24.”
“I think he’ll have a really good career if he keeps his feet on the ground, which I think he will. He’s got Virat’s hunger. I think he could be (another Kohli) at some point in the future.”
Kohli currently has a far better record than his Pakistani counterpart, with 41 ODI centuries, and an impressive average of nearly 60 compared with Babar’s mark of almost 53.
But Babar’s stupendous start to his international career suggests he has the ability to match the Indian superstar.
Babar reached the milestones of 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 ODI runs faster than Kohli.
The world’s top-ranked Twenty20 batsman scored five hundreds in his first 25 ODIs, compared to Kohli’s two, although the Indian skipper has since taken his batting to astronomical heights.
On Wednesday, Babar became the second-fastest to reach 3,000 ODI runs, in 68 innings, behind South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who reached the mark in 57.
Babar said the link with Kohli was flattering.
“I watch his batting videos,” said Babar. “He is very consistent and his mindset is very good. He gives 100 percent every time he walks out to bat.
“My aim is to be the best in the world and perform in each of Pakistan’s wins.”
Babar’s journey to stardom was marked by hard work but driven by passion. Back in Lahore, Babar would walk four miles every day, in all weathers, to the nets and would be the last to leave the ground.
There, coach Mama Juna spotted his talent and Babar learned the lessons by heart.
He topped the batting averages in under-15 cricket in Pakistan and his talent was refined at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
“You can say that he is a real product of the NCA,” former NCA head and current director of domestic cricket in Pakistan, Haroon Rasheed, told AFP.
“He is a product of an under-16 talent hunt in 2007 and went to West Indies with Pakistan under-15s in 2007 and was the best batsman,” said Rasheed, a former Pakistan batsman.
“His dedication, passion and honesty toward his profession are exemplary. He never shies away from hard work and loves batting all the time.”
Former Test player Ramiz Raja said Babar deserved to be spoken of in the same breath as the other frontline batsmen at the World Cup.
A cousin of Pakistan’s Akmal brothers (Kamran, Umar and Adnan), Babar wants to be the best in the game.
“I keep learning from my mistakes and I take advice from my seniors and the aim is to be the best in the world across all formats,” he said.
Babar has started his career with a bang. He has the talent to take him right to the pinnacle of the game.
Compared to India’s Kohli, Pakistan’s Babar eyes summit of world batting
Compared to India’s Kohli, Pakistan’s Babar eyes summit of world batting
- Stupendous start to his international career suggests Babar has the ability to match the Indian superstar
- Has reached milestones of 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 ODI runs faster than Kohli
Pakistan says over 100 militants killed in ‘retributive strikes’ against Afghanistan
- Islamabad determined to carry out similar strikes in future if cross-border attacks continue, warns Pakistan parliamentary affairs minister
- Pakistan says struck seven militant camps in Afghanistan’s three provinces Saturday night, while Taliban accuse Islamabad of killing civilians
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said that over 100 militants were killed in the recent “retributive strikes” launched by Pakistan against Afghanistan, state media reported on Tuesday, vowing that Islamabad is determined to carry out similar actions in future if cross-border attacks persist.
Pakistan said on Sunday it launched “intelligence-based selective targeting” of seven militant camps along the Afghan border in response to a mosque bombing in Islamabad and violence in the northwestern border districts of Bajaur and Bannu, among other attacks. Authorities say many of the assaults have been carried out by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other allied militant groups that Islamabad alleges are operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, whose government denies this.
A Pakistani security official said the strikes were launched at militant camps in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost provinces. Afghanistan denied Pakistan’s claims, saying Islamabad had killed dozens of civilians, including women and children. Afghanistan’s Defense
Ministry warned Pakistan of retaliation at a “suitable time.”
“The Senate was informed today that over one hundred Khawarij were killed in retributive strikes carried out by the Pakistan Air Force against Fitna Al-Khawarij in Afghanistan,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan’s military frequently uses the term “Fitna Al-Khawarij” to describe the TTP, which has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani citizens and law enforcers since 2007.
Chaudhry said Islamabad carried out the strikes after the Afghan administration failed to prevent “terrorists” from using its soil for attacks targeting Pakistan. He said Islamabad had repeatedly shared credible evidence of militants using Afghan territory to carry out attacks against
Pakistan, but Kabul remained unable to curb their actions.
“He made it clear that Pakistan reserves the right to respond to terrorist activities in self-defense and is determined to carry out similar retributive actions in the future if such activities continue,” Radio Pakistan said.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry on Sunday summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to Afghanistan Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani and lodged a protest through a formal démarche in response to the Pakistani military strikes.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have escalated since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. Pakistan says cross-border militant attacks have increased since then and has accused the Taliban of failing to honor commitments under the 2020 Doha Agreement to prevent Afghan soil from being used for attacks against other countries.
The Taliban deny allowing such activity and have previously rejected similar accusations. Pakistan also blames India for supporting militant attacks in Pakistan by the TTP and separatist groups in southwestern Pakistan, charges India denies.
