Mohammad Yousuf: “Just look at the example of Babar Azam, he came into the limelight through his performances in Test cricket”
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Legendary Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has said that captain Babar Azam started gaining worldwide attention as a result of his performances in Test cricket.
Azam has done exceptionally well in all three formats thus far as he boasts averages of 45.44 in Tests, 55.93 in ODIs and 50.93 in T20 Internationals.
But, Yousuf, who is widely regarded as one of the most skilled batsmen Pakistan ever produced, believes that Azam is gaining the recognition he rightfully deserves due to his outstanding form in the longest format.
“I don’t think it is difficult for professionals to shift from T20 to Test cricket. Only the kit changes, the ground, players and cricket in general is the same,” the 46-year-old, who is the batting coach at the National High Performance Centre (NHPC) in Lahore, told Cricket Pakistan.
“I will admit that Test cricket is a little difficult but a player can make a name for myself by playing good cricket. The general public might not properly appreciate Test performances but people who know cricket are aware of its value.
“Just look at the example of Babar Azam, he came into the limelight through his performances in Test cricket. I think Nasser Hussain in England and Australian players as well might have praised him for his performance in Test cricket, not T20Is.”