Azam wants to be like Kohli
Prolific Pakistan batsman Babar Azam wants to achieve the "legend" status that Virat Kohli has acquired but concedes that despite the oft-repeated comparisons, he is still some time away from getting anywhere close to the Indian captain.
The 24-year-old is a self-confessed fan of Kohli spoke about his aspiration to emulate the world's No.1 Test and ODI batsman in an interview to PTI.
“Look he (Kohli) has already achieved a lot. He is a legend in his country. Honestly there is no comparison with me right now but eventually I also want to get where he is today,"
"The media and people have drawn comparisons between me and Virat Kohli but I realise that I still need to get more runs in red ball cricket to be ranked among the top players. That is why in recent months I have been focusing a lot on getting consistent scores in Test matches," he added.
Babar, who scored his second Test hundred in the last three game on Sunday at against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, said he wanted to be a batsman who, like Kohli, could win more matches for his team.
"I don't feel any pressure if anyone compares me with Kohli or (Steve) Smith. I am now more focused on my batting and I spend hours watching videos of my innings. I catch my mistakes and then I try to ensure I don't commit them again the next time," he said.
Babar, who came of age in Australia with a Test hundred at Brisbane and 97 in the day-night Test at Adelaide, said the traditional format remains the most difficult.