In 2021, the former England captain was rightfully named the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year for his record-setting performance in the run-scoring department over the past decade.
Sri Lankan cricket icon Mahela Jayawardene said that Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has the potential to unseat England’s Joe Root as the best Test hitter in the world. Since June, the Englishman has dominated at the top of the Test rankings, thanks to a strong performance in the World Test Championship and a current hot streak of success under new coach Brendon McCullum.
The former England captain has been the best-run scorer in the ten years since the turn of the century, and in 2021, he rightfully won the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year award.
It’s a doozy! In the most recent episode of The ICC Review, when asked who can replace Root at the top, Jayawardena answered, “I think I can,” referencing a previous episode in which Root was named as the man to beat.
“In my opinion, Babar Azam has a shot at success. He maintains a high standing in all three formats. He is a talented athlete who can perform under any weather or lighting conditions since he has the ability to adjust his game accordingly.
“Babar might be the guy,” given the amount of cricket, who plays when, and how often. Babar is the only player to be placed in the top three among hitters in all three formats, holding the top slot in both the one-day and Twenty20 rankings and the third spot in the Test rankings.
Since there are so many talented players in both T20 and ODI competitions, Jayawardene admits that maintaining success might be challenging.
There are some good-quality guys out there who will keep pushing him, but I think he can hold on to all three for a while. When asked what makes Babar such a special player, Jayawardene cited the length of time the Pakistan captain spends at the crease as a major factor.
The former Sri Lankan captain explained, “(I) think it’s just the skill, the time that he has, and the poise that he has out there in the middle.”
“He seems unfazed by the pressure of any match, whether it is a Twenty20 International, a One-Day International, or a Test.
“Joe Root is the same in Test cricket. He’s prepared, able to change things up when he has to and adapts his batting style to the pitch. Babar possesses this same trait, which explains his reliability across all three mediums.” In December, when England travels to Pakistan for a three-match Test series, the two cricketing superstars will meet for the first time this year.
The root may strengthen his case for the No. 1 slot in the forthcoming series against South Africa, while Babar will have to wait until the series against England later in the year to challenge him.
