"I believe that his best and his peak is yet to come" - Inzamam-Ul-Haq on Babar Azam
Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq feels Babar Azam is yet to achieve his peak and has backed the batter to break several records. Inzamam-Ul-Haq also opined that Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are outstanding batters ahead of the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash.
Azam and Kohli are two of the most gifted white-ball players of their generation. Both will lead their respective teams on Sunday in Dubai as they hope to kickstart their team's campaigns positively.
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Inzamam-Ul-Haq highlighted that Babar Azam is yet to reach the best phase of his career as a batter does so at 30. He went on to back Azam to serve the national team for a long time. The former national selector told Geo News in an interview:
"A batter’s peak starts after he crosses 30, only then he gets to his peak and gives his best. Babar has yet to enter his 30s and he has already achieved a lot. I believe that his best and his peak is yet to come and he’ll serve Pakistan for a longer period and name almost every batting record to his credit."
The 51-year-old also lauded Babar Azam's insatiable appetite for runs and feels his style of play and focus will see him break several records. Inzamam-Ul-Haq added:
"The best thing I like about him is his hunger for runs and eagerness to score big every time; I haven’t seen such hunger in any other player. Another positive thing about his style is that Babar is always focused on his game. I see him breaking several cricketing records."
Azam, who will open the innings, has a massive responsibility of leading Pakistan by example. The 26-year-old, along with Mohammad Rizwan, has to set the tone at the top, which will be integral to Pakistan'ssuccess.
"This time Kohli will be under more pressure than Babar" - Inzamam-Ul-Haq
While Inzamam-Ul-Haq admitted that the India-Pakistan games involve pressure, he thinks Kohli will feel it more than his counterpart this time around. The 120-Test veteran underlined that Kohli would be significantly under pressure due to his batting and the need to win an ICC title. Inzamam-Ul-Haq said:
"Usually both the captains are under pressure in an India-Pakistan World Cup game, but this time Kohli will be under more pressure than Babar. Firstly, he’s leading the favourite side, so naturally, he will be under pressure. Secondly, he has not produced big innings for two years, and then thirdly, this is his last tournament as captain. So, there are many reasons that would keep Kohli under pressure in this match."
While the Indian captain hasn't been consistent of late, Kohli won the Man of the Tournament award in the last two editions. Thus, the 32-year-old will be up for the challenge to prove his detractors wrong.