Ricky Ponting: “You’ve only got to look at when he plays, how long he bats for in Test matches”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has applauded Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for the amount of time he can occupy the crease and keep batting in Test cricket.
Azam had a rocky start to his Test career as he struggled to score runs regularly, but he has since gone on to become Pakistan’s most consistent run-scorer in the longest format over the last few years.
In the 47 Test matches he has played, the 28-year-old has amassed 3,696 runs, which includes nine centuries and 26 fifties, at an average of 48.63.
“You’ve only got to look at when he plays, how long he bats for in Test matches,” Ponting said while speaking on The ICC Review.
Azam was rested for Pakistan’s recent three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah, which the men in green lost 2-1.
The national team’s next assignment will be five T20Is and five ODIs against New Zealand, which will begin on April 14.