Comparing Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi involves looking at two very different players, each with their unique strengths and contributions to the game of cricket.
Babar Azam is a top-order batsman from Pakistan known for his elegant stroke play and consistency across all formats of the game. He has been compared to some of the modern-day greats like Virat Kohli for his ability to score runs consistently and adapt to various match situations. Babar’s technique is sound, and he possesses a wide range of shots, particularly excelling in playing through the cover and mid-wicket regions. His temperament under pressure and his ability to anchor an innings or accelerate as required make him a valuable asset to the Pakistani team.
On the other hand, Shaheen Shah Afridi is a talented young fast bowler who burst onto the scene with his raw pace and ability to extract bounce from any surface. He has the potential to become one of the leading fast bowlers in international cricket. Shaheen’s height and left-arm angle make him particularly challenging for batsmen, and he has shown maturity beyond his years in terms of his ability to bowl in different conditions and situations. His ability to swing the ball both ways adds another dimension to his bowling, making him a potent threat to any batting lineup.
Babar Azam has maintained an impressive batting average across formats. In One Day Internationals (ODIs), his batting average hovers around 56, while in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), it’s around 50. In Test cricket, his average is approximately 45.
Shaheen Shah Afridi made his international debut for Pakistan in April 2018 in a T20I match against the West Indies. He soon progressed to the ODI and Test formats and has since become a key member of the Pakistani bowling attack across all formats.
