Wasim Akram: “All the four batters from Fab Four, Babar is now the fifth one”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Wasim Akram, the legendary fast bowler, believes that the Fab Four is now a Fab Five due to the brilliance of Pakistan captain Babar Azam.
The Fab Four is the name given to the top four batsmen in the world. Generally, cricketers include players like India’s Virat Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and England’s Joe Root in there.
But, given how well Azam has been batting and the consistency he has when it comes to scoring runs in all three formats, Wasim feels that the number of members in the elite group has now expanded by one.
“All the four batters from Fab Four, Babar is now the fifth one,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently scored 76 runs at an average of 25.33 in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which the team won 2-0.
He then went on to make 113 runs in three ODIs against Afghanistan, which included two fifties, at an average of 37.66. Pakistan claimed a 3-0 win in that series.
Currently, he is leading Pakistan in the Asia Cup, where he struck a breathtaking 151 in the men in green’s 238-run win over Nepal.
In the following game against India, he didn’t get to bat as the match was called off due to persistent rain after India made 266.
Despite the washout, Pakistan qualified for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 Asia Cup:Â Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr.
Travelling reserve: Tayyab Tahir