Ramiz Raja Backs Babar Azam to Emerge as Test Cricket Powerhouse

Former PCB president Ramiz Raja has expressed support for Babar Azam, urging him to showcase his potential in Test cricket akin to West Indian legend Vivian Richards. Babar was rested after a poor performance in the England Test series, with Pakistan winning 2-1 without him.

In a recent statement on his YouTube channel, former Pakistan cricketer and ex-president of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, voiced strong support for Babar Azam. Raja emphasized the need for Babar to assert himself in red-ball cricket and likened his potential to that of West Indies batting legend Vivian Richards. His comments come in the wake of Babar's omission from the concluding matches of the England Test series, which saw Pakistan triumph 2-1 after a dismal performance in the first Multan Test.

Raja highlighted Babar Azam's prowess in white-ball formats, noting his impressive averages in T20I and ODI cricket. However, he urged the star batsman to prove his mettle in Test cricket, following a lean patch with only 352 runs in his last nine Test matches. The expectations are high for Babar to elevate his game to test levels akin to the legendary innings played by Richards.

Pakistan's cricket management announced the squads for upcoming white-ball series tours to Australia and Zimbabwe, where Babar Azam will be rested for the Zimbabwe series but will participate in the Australian tour. The white-ball series in Australia, featuring both ODIs and T20Is, kicks off on November 4, while the tour in Zimbabwe begins on November 24, concluding in early December.

(With inputs from agencies.)