Cricket: 'Can become as good as Virat Kohli' - Herschelle Gibbs gives his take on Babar Azam ahead of PSL resumption

There has been a lot of debate around the top three or five batsmen in the world. While the names of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith continue to be central to the discussions, the rise of Pakistan batsman Babar Azam has brought him into the debate.

Former South Africa opener and now the head coach of Pakistan Super League (PSL) outfit Karachi Kings, Herschelle Gibbs has weighed his opinion on the matter as he said that Babar has the potential to replicate what Virat Kohli has done for India and in franchise cricket.

Gibbs opined that Babar, for him, is in the top three batsmen in the world and has the hunger to become better each day.

“For me, he is in the top three batsmen in the world, across formats. He is a fantastic player, he knows his game and is hungry to score runs. It is always a sign that they want to become greater and better. If you look at Virat Kohli, Babar Azam is younger than him. There's nothing stopping Babar Azam from achieving what Kohli has achieved in the next decade or so,” Gibbs told Dawn News.

“He has all the potential to become one of the greats in the world. He has made a fantastic start to his career and has got the technique to play in all conditions. He can become as good as Virat Kohli if not better,” the former South African cricketer added.

All eyes will be on Babar when Karachi Kings take the field for PSL 6 in Abu Dhabi in a bid to defend their title.

Meanwhile, PSL 2021 is set to resume from June 9 in Abu Dhabi with the final scheduled for June 24. Earlier, the PSL was postponed amid multiple COVID-19 cases within the bio-secure bubble of the tournament.