“Has to prove he is Viv Richards,” Ramiz Raja on Babar Azam

Former Pakistan Test cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja set high standards for star batter Babar Azam, stating he should prove that he has potential like Sir Vivian Richards.

Former Pakistan captain Babar is going through a rough patch. The star batter was also dropped from the last two Tests of the recently-concluded three-match series against England, pertaining to his series of dismal performances in the longest format.

Babar has scored 3,997 runs in 55 Tests at a decent average of 43.92 but failed to make a half-century in the format since 2022.

Considering his red-ball stats, Ramiz Raja noted that Babar Azam has to grind more in the longest format but lauded his numbers in white-ball cricket.

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He further advised the star batter to prove with his temperament that he is Sir Vivian Richards, citing the legend’s ability to excel in crucial matches.

“I feel Babar has to achieve a lot more in Test cricket. He plays the white-ball format really well, has an average of 50-plus in both the formats (T20I and ODI)…There is so much potential in Babar Azam,” said Raja on his YouTube channel.

“Now he has to prove to the world with his temperament that he is Vivian Richards. Bigger the contest, bigger the innings Richards used to play,” he added.

For the unversed, Babar Azam is currently on a tour to Australia for the three-match ODI and T20I series.

The star batter is on the verge of a major ODI milestone as he needs 271 runs to complete 6000 runs.

Moreover, he boasts a strong chance to dethrone South African great Hashim Amla’s record of fastest to 6000 ODI runs.

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