The former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has given straight forward advice to Pakistan’s young batsman Babar Azam to be like his idol Virat Kohli.
“I would like to tell Babar Azam that when you consider Virat Kohli your idol then you should also learn to play like him. Virat has scored runs in very difficult situations. Babar should learn to take singles like Virat, learn to improvise like him,” Akhtar said this while talking on his YouTube channel.
“If you look at players like Virat, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson…all these guys accelerate their scoring after reaching fifty. Babar should learn from them. He should have more range of shots,” he added.
Akhtar, however, showered praise on Haris Sohail, who scored a 59-ball 89 during Pakistan’s convincing 49-run win over South Africa in their crucial World Cup fixture here on Sunday. Babar chipped in with 69 off 80 deliveries.
“I was constantly saying that Haris Sohail should be included in the playing XI because he is a very compact player. Against South Africa, he showed how to score runs. In fact he looked better than Babar Azam. “Haris provided the thrust and helped Pakistan get a total in excess of 300. Haris Sohail was a great addition and Shoaib Malik was dropped which was a fair call,” said Akhtar.
The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ hoped that Pakistan wil continue to play fearless cricket in the remaining games of the World Cup and somehow sneak into the semi-finals.
“I recommend Pakistan to hold their ground, play pressure-free cricket, play according to the best of their abilities and display their talent,” he added.