Premature to compare Babar Azam, Virat Kohli at this point: Mohammad Yousuf

Former cricketer Mohammad Yousuf has said that comparing star batsman Babar Azam to Indian skipper Virat Kohli was unfair at this point as the latter has far greater experience than the former, Sportstar reported.

"Babar Azam is young. Many people compare him with Kohli. But I think it is not ideal because Kohli has played more number of matches and he is more experienced - since he has been playing international cricket since 2008-2009," Yousuf said. 

Yousuf lauded Azam's game but said that the batsman has a lot to achieve in order to rank similarly with his rival. However, Yousuf did draw parallels and noted that the two batsmen's careers began in a similar fashion.   

READ: With right mindset, Babar Azam can surpass Virat Kohli, says Ramiz Raja

"Babar Azam still has a long way to go. Both are excellent players, there is no doubt. If you look at the early stages of their career, both follow a similar trend. But Babar Azam will need some more time because Kohli has played about eight or nine years more than him," he said. 

The former cricketer was also impressed with Kohli's temperament during pressure situations along with his "unbelievable" performance.  

"In today’s times, there are quite a few good players - Rohit Sharma, Joe Root, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson. But Kohli is the best across formats. The way he bats, the way he handles pressure in each innings and scores centuries or the way he plays - that’s unbelievable!"

READ: 5 of the best Babar Azam innings on YouTube

While Babar certainly has the potential Yousuf said that he needed more time to build his legacy. "Babar is catching up and with the time, he will gain experience and deliver even better. You can’t rush things. You must give him more time."

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