Kane Williamson includes Babar Azam in cricket's 'Fab Four/Five'
What's the story
Star New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has praised Pakistan's Babar Azam amid the ongoing Tri-Series, also involving South Africa. Williamson believes Babar is as part of the elite 'Fab Four' or the 'Fab Five.' The term is usually reserved for an elite group of batters comprising of Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Williamson himself. These players have dominated international cricket for the past decade.
Consistency
Babar's consistent performances earn him recognition
Williamson emphasized Babar's performances in all formats, calling him a world-class player. Despite some modest performances over the last 18 months, Babar's numbers are still impressive. He currently has the fifth-most runs for Pakistan in international cricket. With 14,425 runs across 311 matches, Babar has 31 tons and 99 half-centuries. Williamson said he admires Babar's skills and considers him an outstanding top-order batter.
Information
Fab Four of cricket
The term 'Fab Four,' was first coined by the late Martin Crowe in 2013 to acknowledge extraordinary batters - Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson. Williamson has now labeled Babar as the latest entrant on this list.
Williamson
Williamson's personal performance and partnership with Conway
Williamson himself has been in red-hot form, having recently scored a match-winning 133* against South Africa. This helped New Zealand comfortably chase down a target of 305 runs in the 2nd ODI of the ongoing Pakistan Tri-Nation Series. His 187-run partnership with Devon Conway was crucial in clinching this victory. Williamson also became the second-fastest batter to 7,000 ODI runs during the match.