Ian Chappell: “There’s got to remain some artistry in the batting, and I think that’s where Babar is perfect. He’s a terrific artist. And he likes to include artistry in his play, even in T20s. And I think that’s a good thing”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell said Pakistan skipper Babar Azam includes terrific artistry in his batting, which is why he is one of the most elegant batsmen in the game today.

Numerous current and former players have spoken about Azam’s cover drive in particular, saying it’s the best out of any batsmen in world cricket.

Chappell noted that such style and grace is needed, and Azam has found a way to achieve massive success by utilising it to his advantage.

“There’s got to remain some artistry in the batting, and I think that’s where Babar is perfect. He’s a terrific artist. And he likes to include artistry in his play, even in T20s. And I think that’s a good thing,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

Azam recently captained Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, where they managed to make it to the final before losing to England by five wickets.

The 28-year-old wasn’t at his best throughout the tournament as he amassed 124 runs in seven matches at an average of 17.71 and a strike-rate of 93.23.

However, he regained his form in the first Test against England in Rawalpindi as he scored a magnificent 136, which came off 168 balls and included 19 boundaries and a six.

Despite his heroics, Pakistan ended up losing the match by 74 runs on the fifth day.

The second Test will get underway on Friday in Multan.

Pakistan’s Squad for England Test Series: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Shan Masood, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Saud Shakeel, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed

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