Mitch Marsh: “Babar’s been a world-class player for a long period of time for Pakistan, so we have great respect for him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Mitch Marsh has praised Pakistan batsman Babar Azam, saying the Australian team have got great respect for him.
The Australian all-rounder added that Azam has been a “world-class player for a long period of time” and highlighted how dangerous he can be when in form.
Azam has been getting back to his best after a lengthy rough patch, during which he was even dropped from Pakistan’s T20I team.
He put on a show during the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained the Peshawar Zalmi to the title and finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 matches, which included two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 145.90.
“Babar’s been a world-class player for a long period of time for Pakistan, so we have great respect for him,” Marsh was quoted as saying by A Sports.
Following PSL 11, Azam featured in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Bangladesh, playing only the 2nd Test in Sylhet after missing the opener in Mirpur due to a left knee injury. He scored 68 and 47 in that match.
Azam is currently part of Pakistan’s three-match ODI series against Australia and made an immediate impact with 69 runs in the opening game, which Pakistan won by five wickets.
The 2nd ODI is scheduled to be held in Lahore on June 2.
Pakistan Squad for Australia ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim