Not Virat Kohli! CSK pacer calls Babar Azam the No.1 batter in the world

Matheesha Pathirana, a rising Sri Lankan pace sensation, stated Pakistan's Babar Azam to be the best batsman in the world in a recent interview, sparking the centuries old argument over the best batsman in cricket.

Not Virat Kohli! CSK pacer calls Babar Azam the No.1 batter in the world

Babar Azam and Virat Kohli (Image via NDTV)

Matheesha Pathirana, a rising Sri Lankan pace sensation, stated Pakistan’s Babar Azam to be the best batsman in the world in a recent interview, sparking the centuries old argument over the best batsman in cricket. Pathirana, who played a vital part in Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2023 championship victory, has competed against cricket legends such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jos Buttler.

Pathirana praised the batting skills of Azam, his squad members at the Colombo Strikers in the Lanka Premier League, when discussing about Babar Azam. He also admired Babar’s desire to provide guidance and share the insights, emphasizing his humble nature and commitment towards the sport.

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“Babar Azam is the number batsman in the world. It was a pleasure to play with him. He will teach me if I go and ask any question from him,” Matheesha Pathirana said to a Pakistan journalist.

Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, has consistently performed with the bat, ranking 1st in ODIs, 3rd in T20Is and 4th in Tests. This extraordinary achievement makes him the only cricketer to rank in the top five across all formats of cricket. Pathirana’s interactions with international cricketing greats like Mohammad Nawaz, Azam, Naseem Shah, and Iftikhar Ahmed have improved his knowledge of the game. The young Sri Lankan is overjoyed about the chance to learn from these seasoned performers, highlighting the advantages for Sri Lanka’s emerging talent.

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The odds of Pakistan defeating India in the ODI World Cup 2023 are high

With 261 runs from eight innings, including a century, Babar Azam is now the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Lanka Premier League and No. 1 batsman in the world according to the CSK pacer.
Pakistan Cricket Team (Image via Getty)

Aaqib Javed, a former Pakistani pacer, believes that Pakistan will now have a very strong chance to defeat their old rivals, India in the ODI World Cup of 2023, as many of the Indian players might be having their last World Cup. Notably, Pakistan has never been able to defeat India in the ODI World Cup, and India still holds a perfect 7-0 record against  them.

On October 14, 2023, at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India and Pakistan will face off in the 2023 ODI World Cup, followed by their Asia Cup group stage meeting. Most cricket experts predict that both of these rivals will reach at least the World Cup semifinals, if not the championship match.

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