Rahul Dravid is arguably one of the best batters of all time. On the other hand, Kane Williamson is currently one of the best batters of this era. Both have been absolutely splendid, and have led their national teams as well. In fact, the 31-year-old is currently leading the side in all formats, and has been New Zealand’s skipper since early 2016. Meanwhile, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has said that his side has seen shades of these two players in their opening batter Abdullah Shafique.
Shafique made his international debut in a Test match against Bangladesh in November 2021. He made his debut after warming the bench on the national team for around one year. Meanwhile, the right-hander immediately made an impact as he scored 150 runs in the two-match series at an average of 50. In March this year, the 22-year-old faced Australia at home and showed the world his capabilities in the toughest format of the game.
The Sialkot-born player amassed 397 runs in the three-match series at an average of 79.40 with his maiden hundred coming in Rawalpindi. Thus, Azam has said that he enjoys his teammate’s batting. The Pakistan skipper pointed out that Shafique’s stylish batting has been compared to the likes of Dravid and Williamson. The batting maestro added that in the presence of Shafique, players such as Shan Masood have to sit out.
“I personally watch and definitely enjoy Abdullah’s stylish batting. He plays very clean, his stance and the way he ducks the ball are impressive. Usually, we compare him to Kane Williamson and Rahul Dravid. We call him Dravid” Babar told Dawn News. “In the presence of Abdullah, the place of opener Shan Masood, another polished batter, maybe in doubt but our main aim in selecting an individual is the team’s interest.”
Pakistan will host the West Indies for a three-match ODI series next month. All the matches will be played in Rawalpindi on June 8, 10, and 12 respectively. The hosts will be looking for a strong win against a weakened side who have been marred by the retirement of Kieron Pollard. The all-rounder retired from the international cricket last month.
