ISLAMABAD: Pakistani player Babar Azam has been ranked fourth (15 innings minimum) in the currently concluded World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-2023, leaving behind Indian test player Virat Kohli and Australian player Steve Smith.
According to Local media, Player Azam leads the chart with an average of 69.10 in 20 matches, thanks to four hundred and eight fifties.
Winner of the WTC 21-23, cricket player Smith has the second-best average of 55.40 in 30 matches with the help of four hundred and six fifties. Cricket player Joe Root of England is ranked third with an average of 54.20 in 34 matches, laced with eight fifties and six hundred in the process.
Sri Lanka’s test player veteran Angelo Mathews averaged 48.40 with two fifties and two hundred in 16 matches, while player Kohli averaged the least among the top five batters, scoring runs at 34.65 per match with three fifties and a hundred.
On June 11, Australia won the WTC final after defeating the Indian cricket team comfortably by 209 runs.
Chasing 444 runs, the Indian team was bowled out for 234 runs in their second innings on the fifth day of the test match.
Ex-Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden named Azam among the modern-day great batters.
During a TV conversation before the WTC final between Australia and India at the famous cricket ground, The Oval, Hayden said Babar is one of the modern-day greats.
“Running on the board is always significant in a big cricket game. Steve Smith is a maestro for that,” Hayden replied when he was asked about the strengths of Australia for the final clash.
He praised, “If you think about modern-day greats, Smith, Babar, and Kohli are once in a lifetime and might be these generation cricketers.”
It must be noted here that Hayden worked with the Pakistani cricket team as a batting mentor twice during Twenty-20 World Cups. In 2021, he was appointed batting mentor, and Pakistan played the semi-final against Australia.
Later, in 2022, he was once again roped in as the batting mentor and the Pakistani cricket team played the final against England.
During his stint with the Pakistani cricket team, the explosive good of his time often praised player Babar for his batting skills.
