Michael Clarke: “He’s the Virat Kohli of Pakistan’s line up”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has labeled batsman Babar Azam as the “Virat Kohli of Pakistan’s line up”.

Clarke’s comments come after Azam scored a sensational 112 off 108 balls against Afghanistan in a World Cup warm-up match, but Pakistan still ended up losing the match by three wickets.

Azam was also the second-highest run-scorer in the recent five-match ODI series against England, where he accumulated 277 runs in five games, which included a century and two fifties, at an average of 55.40.

Clarke noted that if Pakistan want to qualify for the semi-finals and go on to make it to the World Cup final, Azam will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility.

“Babar Azam is real class no doubt about that,” Clarke said while commentating. “For me, he’s the Virat Kohli of Pakistan’s line up. If Pakistan [want] to qualify for the semi-finals or final, a lot will depend on his young shoulders.”

Pakistan’s second World Cup warm-up game will be against Bangladesh in Cardiff on May 26.

They will then begin their World Cup campaign against the West Indies in Nottingham on May 31.

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