Synopsis
Sir Viv Richards, the current coach of the Quetta Gladiators and the best batter in the West Indies, compares Pakistani captain Babar Azam to boxing legend Mohammad Ali.

Sir Viv Richards. © Quetta Gladiators Facebook
Sir Viv Richards, the current coach of the Quetta Gladiators and the best batter in the West Indies, compares Pakistani captain Babar Azam to boxing legend Mohammad Ali.
Richard praised Sarfaraz Ahmed, stating that he is a true team player who exudes a lot of positive energy.
“Babar is up there with the very best. He is the best, guy who plays conventional shots and shots that you will see normally in test match cricket, ODI cricket, and things like that,” Viv Richards said.
“What I love about Babar is that you don’t have quite seen what he’s doing to you, he doesn’t knock you out. He tends to be like a Muhammad Ali, in my opinion, when he boxes, he jabs and he hurt you and at the end of the day, you know that you were in a match. Babar is similar, he is an individual that just has too much time to play, and it’s a joy. As an individual who enjoys the battle, it’s nice to see him play,” he said about Babar Azam.
Sarfaraz wears his heart on his sleeve, according to the batting legend, and his passion for the game is contagious.
“I’ve always liked his spirit, the spirit that he brings, the energy that he brings. He’s an individual of my own heart because I like to wear my heart on my sleeve.
“And, I’ve seen him do that on numerous occasions. I spoke to him earlier today to encourage and to let him know that he’s still a man who can accomplish anything that he wants to accomplish because he is an individual that brings a lot of passion and all the stuff that it needs to for you to be successful,” he said about Pakistan’s former captain.
Sarfaraz’s career highlight so far has been the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, as he led the squad to a famous title win after a humiliating setback against India to start the tournament. Since then, though, he has lost his batting form and has fallen down the pecking order.
Viv Richards, speaking on Sarfaraz’s lean patch, noted that players go through periods in their careers and that ebbs and flows are a part of the game.
“Sarfaraz is always an individual who has high energy. He’s always been pretty much involved in the game. And as I said earlier, an individual that wears his heart on his sleeve. And when you have guys who are so passionate about the game, not just passionate for their success, but passionate for the team’s success, are individuals that you’d always want to have around and I’m just hoping that he finds his form and all the stuff that would have made Sarfaraz the man that I know Sarfaraz can be,” he said.
Sir Viv praised power-hitter Azam Khan, who joined Islamabad United this season after spending the previous three seasons with Quetta.
“He’s got a lot of power. He brings a lot of that sort of a manly into at his particular age. He looks to be a very experienced guy, and as long as he continues in that particular way, he’s got to be a force to be reckoned with,” he said.
“Sometimes you got to be who you are, you know some times your body shape doesn’t quite match what people would like to see take place. You look at Stirling, you look at maybe Rahkeem Cornwall, there’s a lot of guys you know who are heavily built but at the end of the day, if they can get the job done that to me is the most important,” Sir Viv said.
Viv is happy to unite with Quetta’s management and enjoys touring Pakistan for the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
“In this particular group, there are some fine bunch of individuals, the owner, who we all know, is highly respected. I am so happy, very privileged, and fortunate to be back in Pakistan, again, the place that I’ve probably enjoyed over the years,” he said.
Quetta will make a stunning comeback in the PSL, according to the batting master, who sees the league as an effective platform for players to sharpen their talents.
“You’ll find some of the best bowlers in the world playing in the Pakistani Super League. It is a breeding ground to add some of the natural talents that you see around in the country. I’m certain in the future as well they will have more guys coming because there’s a lot of guys in Pakistan who are highly talented individuals and just waiting for the opportunity to be given a chance.
“The players that have been attracted to the PSL, are some of the best players in the world. If we open up a little bit more, and we become a little bit more universal, we would see what the Pakistan Super League is all about. But at present and especially with so many T20 tournaments that have played around the world, Pakistan Super League is up there with the very best in terms of the competitive nature,” he said.
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