'Babar Azam will improve as captain gradually,' says Ricky Ponting

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes that Babar Azam will improve as captain gradually. 

Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting, Australia's two-time World Cup-winning captain, said Babar will become a great captain with the passage of time. 

"I really like Babar's batting," said Ponting. "With experience, he will improve as a captain. He has the potential to become a strong captain," he added.

While elaborating more on Babar's batting, Ponting praised the Pakistani batter. 

"Technically, he’s very good. He plays spin bowling very well, he plays fast bowling really well, and he’s been able to adapt to different conditions across the world - which is what separates the great players from the good players," he highlighted. 

"To be able to be dominant in different conditions (to the ones) you’re brought up in, I’ve seen him first-hand be able to do that. The great players are also very strong mentally. You’ve only got to look at when he plays, how long he bats for in Test matches, how he controls the innings in one-day games, how he’s sort of got the ability to go up and down the gears as a batsman when the game and the situation needs him to," he concluded. 

Babar bagged two ICC Awards of 2022

Babar Azam had a successful run in 2022 which earned him accolades in ICC yearly awards. 

The right-handed batter, who scored 2598 runs in 44 matches at an average of 54.12 with eight centuries and 15 half-centuries in 2022, was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the year and bagged Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year.

Earlier, Babar was also named captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2022.

It must be noted that Azam was also captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year in 2021.

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