Sports Desk
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani skipper Babar Azam said his comparisons with big Names of cricketing world always helped him setting goals for himself as a young player.
On being compared with Indian Skipper Virat Kohli, the prolific batsman said it does feel nice that you are compared to some very good players in the game. “My mindset is that I challenge myself. I set myself targets. I set myself benchmarks. I have to win matches for Pakistan. And win matches which help the team. If your name figures in the top five of the world it is obviously a nice feeling. It also means that you have to keep performing to those standards and that boosts your confidence too” Sportstar quoted him as saying.
The young batsman said he looks to follow what he learnt in his early years, when he was being groomed for big cricket. “I look to establish myself every time I walk out. I aim to polish my game from those lessons learnt. I work to improve my game from that position.
The key is that I stay positive and always play to what the situation demands. I don’t discard my style at any point though. I don’t stray from my work ethic. Basically I enjoy my batting”, he added.
Babar said he has defined his role in the team. “My responsibilities are more than others. I look to bat the full overs if I can. A lot depends on the situation. There are times when one has to bat on a faster note”.
“You run into a tough pitch, tough bowling, you are constantly tested. You have to decide when to take a chance, when to be defensive. These decisions are to be taken on the day. Of course, I always look for runs and this approach defines my batting really.
Must score runs off every ball,” he said. To a question, he said former skipper Mohammad Yousuf was his idol. “My idol is Mohammad Yousuf. He was such a classy player. He had all the time in the world to play the ball. I always enjoyed watching him bat,” he said.