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Former Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram, has compared the all-format captain, Babar Azam, to the legendary West Indian batter, Brian Lara, in terms of popularity.
Speaking on the pre-Test Championship final show, Akram stated that Babar Azam has the same fan base in Pakistan as Lara attracted fans to stadiums in the West Indies.
The former fast bowler added that the Lahore-born cricketer has become part of the Fab Five and despite being the youngest among them, he has achieved a lot across formats.
“If you look at the calendar for World Test Championship, Babar has scored more than 1,500 runs, with an average of 60. So, he is catching up to those legends, those icons,” he said.
Responding to a question about the Fab Four, Akram said that these batters have averaged 50+ and have played red-ball cricket for quite some time, making them iconic figures.
Earlier this year, Wasim Akram supported Babar Azam when he faced criticism, predicting that he would prove himself as one of the greatest captains in the next two or three years.
Yesterday, former cricketer, Matthew Hayden, ranked the right-handed batter among the top three batters in modern-day cricket, stating that he possesses generational talent.
It is pertinent to mention here that Babar Azam is the fourth leading run-scorer in the Test Championship cycle, having scored 1,527 runs in 14 matches at an average of 61.8.
Source: Pro Pakistani