Kohli and I are different type of players: Babar Azam

Lahore, May 18 (IANS) Pakistan limited-overs captain and premier batsman Babar Azam on Monday said he should not be compared with India skipper Virat Kohli as they are both different type of batsmen.

Azam, who was recently appointed Pakistan ODI captain, is ranked third in 50-over cricket whereas Kohli is number one. In T20Is, Azam is ranked number one followed by India’s K.L. Rahul. Kohli finds himself in 10th position as per latest ICC rankings. In Tests, Azam is ranked fifth with Kohli placed second below Australia’s Steve Smith.

There have been a lot of comparisons between Azam and Kohli, but the 25-year old on Monday said it is not right to compare the two.

“I think there should not be any comparison. He is a different type of player and I play differently. My job is to win games for my team and I will focus on that, not comparisons,” Azam told local media via video conferencing which was shared by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Asked about his way of captaincy, the soft-spoken Azam said he would like to have control of his emotions on the field while leading the side and try to get the best out of his teammates.

“You need to be cool as captain. You will get angry but you need to control your emotions. On the ground, you need to control your aggression. I will look to back players and infuse confidence in them,” said the dashing right-hander, rated as one of the best batters in the game at the moment.

Azam refused to comment on Shahid Afridi’s remarks on Kashmir.

–IANS

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