Babar Azam has the talent to become a great batsman, says Zaheer Abbas

Dubai - Pakistan cannot depend heavily on Babar in the England series, says Abbas

Babar Azam's unbelievable consistency across formats has already earned him comparisons with Virat Kohli, the best all-format batsman in the world.
But Javed Miandad, arguably Pakistan's greatest batsman, recently drew a parallel between his former teammate Zaheer Abbas and the 25-year-old Babar.
It's difficult to argue with Miandad because Babar, just like Abbas, can make the romantics drool with his majestic strokeplay.
And it was in England that Abbas had announced his arrival with a sublime 274 at Edgbaston in what was his only second Test.
Abbas went on to enjoy great success in English conditions, scoring heavily in country cricket for Gloucestershire.
Now as Pakistan prepare for their first Test series after the Covid-19-enforced break in England, the onus will be on Babar to get the big scores against a world-class English pace attack.   
"Definitely the team will depend on him, but one man is not enough to get the victory. Other players have to support him. And the whole team has to play well. It's not a one-man team. You have 11 players in the team. So everybody has to perform very well," Abbas told Khaleej Times over phone from London.
"And it's not difficult because Pakistan have some talented players and they can play well. The key will be how they adjust their game on the seaming wickets. But yes, if Babar, being the vice-captain of the team, plays well, it will make a lot of difference."

Zaheer Abbas (right) says Pakistan batsmen have to be careful against England's pace bowlers in the three-match Test series. (AFP file)  
After an inauspicious start to his Test career, Babar has found his feet in the five-day format and his performance against the formidable Australian attack last year even earned praise from Ricky Ponting.  
But Abbas reveals what Babar still needs to do to join the pantheon of Pakistan batting legends.
"We are hoping that he will become one of the top batsmen in Pakistan history. He has the talent to do that. If he stays at the wicket for a long time, he will score more consistently. If a batsman doesn't throw his wicket away, he will always achieve the goal!"
Abbas admitted that shot-selection would be key on the 'juicy' wickets against the Stuart Broad-led English attack. "The pitches are quite juicy, so the batsmen have to be very careful in their shot-selection. Also, the English bowlers have been bowling well, especially Broad. He is on top of his game. But this is what you call a challenge," Abbas said.
"It also depends on the weather. Some days, it's quite hot in England. So if it's hot, it will be easier for the batsmen." 
And having the experienced Joe Root as the captain gives England the tactical advantage, according to the former Pakistan skipper. 
"I think the main difference in the England-West Indies series was Root's captaincy. The way he handled the team after missing the first Test was fantastic. And the problem with the Pakistan team is that our captain - Azhar Ali - lacks experience, especially in English conditions."
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com