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First published August 23, 2022 5:23 pm IST
India and Pakistan will face off on Sunday at the 2022 T20 Asian Cup. Again comparisons are made between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. However, Wasim Akram believes that it is too early to compare them.
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Former Indian skipper and top slugger Virat Kohli has been struggling for runs for the past couple of years. However, legendary former Pakistani all-rounder Wasim Akram believes that Kohli remains one of the greatest players of all time. In addition, he believes that it is somewhat premature to compare Pakistani skipper Babar Azam with him at this stage. All eyes will be on Kohli when India faces Pakistan in the first leg of the 2022 T20 Asian Cup at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Kohli will come into the game fresh, taking a break during the away series against Windys and Zimbabwe. Although he has gone through a long gray spot since November 2019 and there has not been a single international century since November 2019, the much younger Babar appears to be at the peak of his career, doing well in all formats.
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“First of all, let me say that the criticism of Kohli by the Indian fans was unnecessary. He is one of the greatest players of all time, not just this era. in the Indian team. As they say, class is eternal and this is Virat Kohli. I hope he doesn’t get back in shape against Pakistan. However, he will come back eventually,” Akram said during a Star Sports virtual interactive session with former India head coach Ravi Shastri.
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Of the comparison between Babar and Kohli, the former Pakistani skipper wrote: “Comparisons are quite natural. When we played, people compared Inzamam, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. Prior to that, they were Sunil Gavaskar, Javed Miandad, G. Vishwanath and Zahir Abbas. “
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“Babar was very consistent because he has the right technique. He is hungry and in good shape. He is still a young captain, but he learns very quickly. However, it is too early to compare with Virat. where is Virat Kohli, but it is too early to compare him with him at this stage. But he is absolutely on the right track to become one of today’s greats,” Akram suggested.
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Shaheen’s absence is a major setback for Pakistan
Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi, who last year in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hit India’s top rank during the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup and won by 10 wickets, has been ruled out of the Asian Cup with a knee injury. Akram believes that Shaheen’s absence will significantly affect Pakistan as he considers him to be one of the best bowlers in world cricket.
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“He [Shaheen] he has a knee injury that takes time to heal and you’re always afraid it might come back. He is one of the top three bowlers in the world which is a major setback for Pakistan. There is still a tempo in the bowling department, but no variation. They are all right-handed,” Akram regretted.
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Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Closely contested
The great Pakistani also predicted that it would be the most intense Asian Cup ever, which would drastically close the gap between the teams. “In my opinion, this will be the best Asian Cup ever. There used to be India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But now all teams are dangerous, including Afghanistan and Bangladesh,” Akram concluded.
(According to PTI)