Former India star opening batter Gautam Gambhir has named one player who is likely to set the 2023 ODI World Cup on fire and it is not Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ben Stokes or Shaheen Afridi. Gambhir reckons that Pakistan captain and stylish batter, Babar Azam boasts a 'different level of capability' from the likes of Virat, Rohit, Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Gambhir has pipped the No.1-ranked ODI batter to set the ODI World Cup ablaze with his mesmerising talent.
"Babar Azam can set this World Cup on fire. I have seen a lot of players with so much time to bat. I think that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root are there, but Babar Azam has a different level of capability," Babar told Star Sports.
Pakistan's hopes of making any relevant noise in the upcoming quadrennial competition firmly depend on how well Babar bats throughout the tournament, especially against box-office teams. In the 2023 Asia Cup, Babar scored a fantastic century against Nepal but failed to replicate the same performance in the rest of the matches.
There is no doubt about the kind of talent Babar boasts and Gambhir is well aware of it too. In 2023, the 28-year-old has scored 715 runs in 15 ODI innings and averages 49.67 with the bat. He has also registered two centuries and six fifties in 50-over white-ball cricket in 2023.
If you look at the grand picture, Babar's numbers are sensational. He has played 108 ODIs and scored 5,409 runs at a stunning average of 58.16. Overall, Babar has scored 19 centuries and 28 fifties in ODIs.
Pakistan are scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign on October 6 against the Netherlands in Hyderabad.
Pakistan World Cup squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Fakhar Zaman, Imam Ul Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Traveling Reserves: Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Haris
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