Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood lauds Babar Azam, calls him "one of the best batsmen in the world"

Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood showered praise on Babar Azam and called him one of the best batsmen in the world. Babar is going through a lean patch in Tests. In his last nine Tests and 17 innings, he has scored just 352 innings at an average of 20.71, with his best score being 41. In 55 Tests, Babar has scored 3,997 runs at an average of 43,92, with nine centuries and 26 fifties and best score of 196.

Pakistan announced 15-member squads for white-ball series tours to Australia and Zimbabwe starting from November 4 onwards, with star batter Babar Azam being rested from the Zimbabwe tour and set to play in Australia. Masood said that nobody can say that Babar doesn't have a future. The Pakistan Test skipper added that Babar has all the qualities to become "one of the greatest batsmen" in the long format.

"I think he's one of the best batsmen in the world. I'm nobody to [say he doesn't have] a future. He has every quality to be one of the greatest batsmen in Test cricket. He's always there or thereabouts in the rankings. Sometimes, people need a break," Masood was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.

Masood said that this break would benefit the 30-year-old and he will comeback as a stronger player.

"I think this break will do him a great deal of benefit and he'll come back a stronger player," Masood said. "There's no harm in being pulled out at times and having a breather. He's played a lot of cricket and gone through a lot, and he'll always be one of the main batsmen to play for Pakistan," he added.

At the beginning of last month, Babar submitted his resignation as Pakistan men's white-ball captain, which was accepted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Last week, ahead of Pakistan's limited-overs tours of Australia and Zimbabwe, the PCB announced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as Pakistan's new white-ball skipper with Salman Ali Agha as vice-captain. Pakistan arrived in Australia earlier this week ahead of the first ODI, which will begin on Monday at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. (ANI)