ENG vs PAK | Babar Azam under-appreciated because Pakistan in Indian cricket’s shadow, feels Nasser Hussain

Having struck four tons and two fifties - including a century at the Gabba - in his preceding seven Test knocks, Pakistan’s trump card Babar Azam walked into Day 1 of the Old Trafford Test versus England soaring with confidence. And that showed in his batting as the youngster, despite walking in at a tricky situation with his side 43/2, seamlessly batted his way out of trouble and counterpunched the English bowlers to end day one on 69* and put his side in a commanding position.

The 69* meant that Azam’s Test average since the start of November 2019 jumped to an astounding 114.00 and on the back of the right-hander’s stellar performance, former English skipper Nasser Hussain opined that Azam was criminally under-appreciated. Nasser noted that no one was talking about Azam’s achievements and claimed that it was a consequence of Pakistan getting hidden in the shadow of Indian cricket. 

"I think it is a real shame and it is in part a consequence of Pakistan playing away from home, playing in the UAE all the time in front of no-one, Pakistan hiding in the shadow of Indian cricket, not going over and playing IPL cricket, not playing India," said Nasser on Sky Sports commentary on Day 1.

Azam, who has often come under the gun for failing to live up to expectations in red-ball cricket, has averaged 68.76 in 16 Tests since the start of 2018 and this number is, in fact, the best amongst any batsman to have scored over 1,000 runs in this timeframe. His white-ball numbers, too, speak for themselves and according to Hussain, it’s time that a ‘Fab five’ is established, one that includes Babar Azam alongside Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.

"If this lad was Virat Kohli, everyone would be talking about it but because it is Babar Azam, no one is talking about it. He averages 68 since 2018 and 55 in white-ball cricket. He's young, he's elegant, he's got all the swagger. They keep going on about the fab four, it's the fab five and Babar Azam is in that."