Pakistan cricket legend Zaheer Abbas did not hold back when expressing his opinion on the frequent comparisons between India’s Virat Kohli and Pakistan’s Babar Azam. Abbas strongly criticized those comparing the two batters and even suggested that Babar should be dropped from the team due to his current poor form. Babar has been under fire after Pakistan’s underwhelming performances in major tournaments, including their failure to reach the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup and the group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Babar’s recent form has seen him slip out of the top 10 ICC Test rankings, having failed to score a fifty in his last 16 Test innings. His last notable innings was a 161-run knock against New Zealand in December 2022. With mounting pressure and a string of underwhelming performances, Abbas suggested that Babar’s place in the team should be reconsidered until he regains his form.
In contrast, Virat Kohli continues to be a key player for India, excelling in both Test and ODI formats. Earlier this year, Kohli retired from T20Is after a stellar match-winning performance in the T20 World Cup final. Abbas highlighted Kohli’s consistency, stating that Kohli delivers in almost every match, which, in his opinion, makes him a much bigger player than Babar.
Abbas was clear in his dismissal of comparisons between Kohli and Babar. “The comparisons are pointless,” Abbas remarked during the Cricket Predicta Conclave. He emphasized Kohli’s ability to score in every match for India, while Babar has struggled to contribute. According to Abbas, Babar’s current form makes it difficult to justify his place in the team, let alone compare him to a player of Kohli’s caliber.
Do you agree with Zaheer Abbas?
