Babar Azam reveals what he learned from Kane Williamson

Pakistan captain Babar Azam, in a special edition of PCB podcast, revealed what he learned from New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

The Kiwi captain, who is ranked number one in ICC Test batsmen rankings, explained the importance of playing the ball close to the body, to Babar.

“I learnt the art of playing the ball late from Kane Williamson. I noticed that he has more time and more command over his shots when he plays the ball late and close to the body. So I started slowly emulating that approach and it helped me a lot. When you play close to your body, it also allows you to find more gaps in the field. So I have carried on with that approach,” Babar said.

“Previously, I used play away from my body and on the up. Ijaz Ahmed told me during early part of my career that I will struggle a little bit because you won’t be able to drive the new ball if you are playing shots on the up. So I realized it later in my career that it is better to play the ball close to your body,” he added.

ALSO READ: Babar Azam dethrones Virat Kohli to become number one ODI batsman

Pakistan captain has become the number one batsman in One-day International (ODI) cricket after the latest International Cricket Council (ICC)’s player rankings update.

Babar has replaced Indian captain and star batsman Virat Kohli at the top of the table with 865 points. Kohli is at the second position with 857 points, followed by Rohit Sharma with 825 points in third spot.