Babar Azam reveals his batting hero from early days

Pakistan batsman talks about comparison with Kohli, three centuries on the trot

Pakistan’s right-handed batsman Babar Azam has revealed that he grew up watching South African batting maestro AB de Villiers play, and followed him closely to learn his style of willow-wielding.

Babar, who has drawn comparisons with Indian batting star Virat Kohli for his early career record, says he tried to play shots like the South African did during his early days in the nets.

“I loved watching AB de Villiers during my early days,” he revealed, as quote by ESPNcricinfo. “I used to follow him closely. I copied him a lot too. In the nets, I used to at least try some of the shots he played in the matches.”

When asked if he also tried the extravagant shots which AB is famous for, Babar said: “Those hadn't been played back then. I still don't try those shots. I play normally.”

He continued by naming two more players he now follows regularly. “Nowadays I follow Kohli, Hashim Amla, and of course, de Villiers.”

‘Comparison to Kohli unjustified’

Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur once compared Babar to Kohli, calling him the next big thing for the country, but the 23-year-old believes such comparison is not needed.

“He compared me with a very big player,” said Babar. “I think it shouldn't be done. But that is the coach's thinking. Maybe the stats at the start of our careers are similar, but he is the number one batsman in the world.”

However, Babar believes he wants to do a Kohli for Pakistan. “I want to perform at a high level for Pakistan too,” he added.

‘I eased into the third century’

Babar became the first Pakistani to score three centuries on the trot in a three-match series and the second in the world  after South African Quinton de Kock when he piled scores of 120, 123 and 117 against West Indies.

The world stood in awe to celebrate the youngsters’ feat and Babar revealed he didn’t have to do anything extraordinary and just stuck to his batting processes.

“I was quite excited about the first hundred. The confidence got higher after the second. Ahead of the third century, I remembered my processes for  the first two hundreds and applied them in that game. God gave me the third one as well,” he said.

Babar said he knew he was going for a record but didn’t overthink it. “I knew about the world record because it was all over social media. I stayed focused before the third hundred, never thinking that I have to score a hundred.”

‘Cricket gives back’

Babar is one of the very few Pakistani players who have risen through the ranks and made their way into the national team through a proper channel. He played in the U19 team and the A side before making his way into the main team.

“Ijaz [Ahmed] bhai used to tell me: you stay at the wicket, everything else will happen. I rose to the international level keeping these words in mind; I retained that mindset,” he explained when asked about his approach on the crease.

And if there was any advice he’d give a youngster, Babar said he’d tell them to invest everything into the game before demanding anything back.

“I would say never compromise on your cricket,” said Babar. “The more time you give to the ground, the more it will give back to you. Keep an eye on your fitness and give your 100% in matches. Stay focused."