Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik praises Pakistan star batter Babar Azam and believes that Babar can become the first player to be ranked as the No.1 player in all three formats of the game.
Dinesh Karthik Praises Babar Azam
In the latest episode of The ICC Review, DK claims that the Pakistan star batter can create history and hold the top ranking in all three formats.
“One-hundred percent (he is capable of achieving that),” Karthik told Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review. “He is a high-quality player who is at the peak of his batting prowess and he has got some Test matches coming up.
“He has been phenomenal in all three formats of the game and he has done well in different batting positions too.
“I wish him all the best and think he has the potential. He has got all the following of Pakistan helping him in abundance to go on and do special things for his country.”
In the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Babar Azam led Pakistan beats India by 10wickets and scripts history.
“It is a very strong ‘Fab Four’ that we are talking about and they have obviously been there for much longer, but there is no doubt that Babar has all the credentials and he is going to make it a ‘Fab Five’,” Karthik noted.
“There is no doubt he is there or thereabouts … he is a very special player.”
Currently, Babar Azam holds the first position in ICC Men’s ODI Player ranking and ICC Men’s T20I Player ranking. In the longest format, Babar holds 5th position in the ICC Men’s Test player rankings.
“The two things that struck me when I watched him bat is his balance and his striking point when he plays a ball,” Karthik explained.
“Whether it is on the front foot or the back foot, his ability to strike the ball more often than not under his eyes, has been phenomenal.
“He strikes the ball at the point where it is optimum power for where the ball is pitched and that makes him a very special player.”
Dinesh Karthik also believes that Babar will continue to develop further as he learns fast how to adapt to the different conditions that players face when playing in different conditions, particularly on away pitches.
“When you play international cricket you have got to keep changing a little bit here and there to keep improving your technique,” he said.
“Sometimes just by one per cent a lot of the time so that so you can go on and achieve success in that particular tour you are on, so I think he has definitely tweaked his technique a bit here and there over a period of time.”
