Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar lauded current Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for showcasing immense skills not only as a batter but also as a leader of his side. Gavaskar seemed extremely impressed by the way Babar carried the weight of the captaincy along with being the backbone of the side as far as batting is concerned. Writing in Khaleej Times, Gavaskar explained in detail how Babar could become one of the all-time greats of the game. "There is no doubt that Babar, if he keeps himself fit and motivated, is going to become one of the all-time greats of the game. What he can become is also one of the greatest captains that Pakistan has produced.," wrote Gavaskar.
The Indian legend also highlighted key aspects of Babar's leadership which was one of the reasons for Pakistan's exceptional outing in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.
"His reading of the game situation is brilliant and the changes that he has been making with the bowling and field placing have been unbelievably accurate," he added.
Gavaskar used the terms "calm" and "game aware" for the current Pakistan squad while defining their on-field success. According to the former Indian opener, Pakistan's temperament was praiseworthy throughout the tournament.
"Pakistan have always been a mercurial side with some of the most naturally talented cricketers in the game. What has pulled them back is an excitable temperament. This time with Babar Azam leading them they are a lot calmer and a lot more game aware team," Gavaskar explained.
Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the ongoing T20 World Cup without losing even a game in the Super 12 stage. They overpowered India by 10 wickets and followed it with a win against New Zealand by 5 wickets in their opening two games.
Babar was a revelation in the tournament, scoring four T20 half-centuries till the Super 12 stage while batting at the top of the order.
However, Pakistan went down and bowed out of the tournament in the semis-final after losing to an inspired Australian side by five wickets in Dubai.