Pakistan’s T20 captain Babar Azam recently shared that he seeks guidance from international batting greats and colleagues like Virat Kohli, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson to learn about their mindset and how they approach different situations in cricket to enhance his own performance.
Azam is regarded as one of the world’s best batters in modern-day cricket. The right-handed batter has accumulated 3,898 runs from 52 Test matches, 5,729 runs from 117 ODIs, and 4,145 runs from 123 T20Is. He has also scored 31 centuries for Pakistan across all three international formats and is frequently compared with top batters like Kohli, Williamson, and Root.
In an interview conducted by former South African batter AB de Villiers for his YouTube channel in June, before the T20 World Cup, de Villiers spoke with the Pakistani captain about his goals, achievements, and how he handles pressure situations. The full interview was shared on Saturday.
“When overseas players come [to Pakistan], youngsters engage them and learn because international players are playing lots of leagues and they share that experience with everyone,” Azam told de Villiers. “When I was young, I always talked with you, learn from every single player. I am always talking to Kane [Williamson], [Joe] Root, Virat [Kohli].”
Azam mentioned that he tries to understand how these players approach the game, their routines, and how they maintain their self-belief. “So when you speak to good players, they give you good advice that helps you a lot,” he explained.
When asked about his goals and dreams for the future, Azam said he was living in the moment. “Honestly, I’m just thinking day by day,” he said. “I’m not thinking about where I am going. I’m just playing my game and enjoying myself every single time. I just love to play cricket.”
Despite his positive approach, Azam has faced heavy criticism from fans and critics alike for Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup 2024. Under his leadership, the team failed to beat minnows USA and India, crashing out of the World Cup in the group stages last month.
Former cricketers and cricket commentators have called for Azam to resign as captain, with some even suggesting his removal from the international T20 squad.
