Babar used to follow AB de Villiers

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: In the beginning of his career, Pakistan’s prolific batsman and Twenty20 Skipper Babar Azam used to follow South African superstar AB de Villiers, saying the Mr 360 was a natural talent.

De Villiers who accumulated over 8,000 runs in Tests including 22 centuries and 46 fifties also holds the records for the fastest 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls) and 150 (64 balls), respectively.

“I used to follow De Villiers a lot, when I started playing cricket and went to the club. He’s a natural player who can play in all areas. After seeing him bat I used to apply those shots in the nets,” Babar, who had scored 1,850 runs in 26 Tests, said while talking to Former Pakistani skipper Rameez Raja on his YouTube channel.

To a question, Babar, who was named in the ICC ODI Team of the Year in 2017 and 2019, said this was just a start for him and he has got to go a long way. “I loved playing cricket from the very beginning. I used to play in streets and also had many fights for the love of the game,” he said.

Babar, who had scored 3,359 runs in 74 ODIs, said the cover drive was his favorite shot. “I have worked a lot on my balance. Coach Mansoor Rana made me practice a lot and I did my hard work,” he said. Babar, who had scored 1,471 runs in 38 T20s, also showed playing shots on mid-on, mid-wicket and square leg.