Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his opinion on the comparison between India captain Virat Kohli and Pakistan captain Babar Azam, claiming that despite all the comparisons made, the debate surrounding the two players is incorrect.
Kohli, who has 70 international centuries, is one of the best batsmen in the world, while Babar has steadily risen through the ranks. Along with Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Steve Smith, Babar is one of the most promising batsmen of this generation and could be considered a member of the Fab Five. However, Akhtar believes the disparity between the two batsmen is excessive.
In fact, Akhtar believes Kohli will score 30 more centuries in the next five years, bringing his total of international tonnes to at least 110, ten more than the current record-holder Sachin Tendulkar, who has 100 international hundreds.
“Virat has what… 70 centuries in international cricket right. So in the next five years, he will get 30 more and I want him to get 120 centuries, or at least 110. See, with these many runs, who can be compared to him? The debate in itself is wrong. And Babar is now coming through. It’s really good that there is healthy competition,” Akhtar told Sports Tak in an interview.
Kohli is seven years Kohli’s junior, and Babar began his international career in 2015. To catch up to Kohli’s illustrious record, Akhtar believes Pakistan’s captain will have to go on a rampage in the coming years. In the process, Akhtar believes Babar could become the greatest Pakistan batsman of all time, but whether he can surpass Kohli will have to wait another ten years.
“If Babar needs to beat Virat and surpass him, he will have to score more runs chasing and play the kind of innings Kohli has. There is no doubt that Babar Azam can probably be the greatest batsman of Pakistan, but it will take time. We will judge Kohli and Babar after 10 years where they stand,” Akhtar added.
