Brad Hogg rejects Virat Kohli-Babar Azam comparisons

Hogg backs Babar’s exclusion from Test squad

Hogg defended Pakistan’s decision to drop Babar, saying it was a necessary move.

He highlighted the stark difference in team performance during the players’ respective relegations.

“India were the second best team in the world during Kohli’s lows, while Pakistan are currently the second worst during Babar’s lows,” Hogg said.

He also stressed that difficult decisions must be made in difficult times like these.

Fakhar Zaman criticizes the decision to drop Babar

Unlike Hogg, Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman did not agree with Babar’s exclusion from the Test team.

He took Xsaying that India never dropped Kohli during their tough patch between 2020 and 2023.

Zaman said Babar was one of Pakistan’s best batsmen and warned that leaving him out could send a negative message to the team.

Babar’s poor form extends across all formats

Babar’s woeful form has not only been limited to Test cricket, but has also seeped into his ODIs and T20Is.

He hasn’t scored a half-century in his last 18 Test innings and was abysmal in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.

In the Multan Test against England, Babar was dismissed after struggling in the corridor outside off-stump, unable to make the most of a flat pitch.

Kohli and Babar before turning 30

Cricket pundits have been making Babar-Kohli comparisons of late.

It is worth mentioning that before turning 30, Kohli already had 18,665 international runs at an incredible average of 56.56.

His tally included 62 tons. Kohli had already entered the 10,000 player club by then.

Meanwhile, 29-year-old Babar has 13,871 international runs at 47.34 so far. He has 31 centuries, exactly half of Kohli’s tons.