"My role model is..."- Babar Azam reveals the player he wants to copy in the game
Pakistan is all set to host England for a three-match Test series starting on December 1. This will be the third assignment of England's tour of Pakistan, as they have already played each other in ODI and T20I series.
This will be the first time that these two teams will lock horns against each other after a high-voltage clash in the final of the recently concluded T20 World Cup in Australia. Ahead of that, England played a seven-match T20I series in Pakistan, which resulted in visitors favour by 4-3 margin.
However, ahead of the start of the first Test, former English captain Naseer Hussain and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam sat down for an interview on the preparations for the three-match Test series on Sky Sports.
Babar said they are happy to host England for the test series and are looking forward to a competitive series ahead. He also highlighted that a few English players already played in the T20I series, and there are a few new players in the Test series.
However, when asked about his idol in the game, Babar named former South Africa skipper and "Mr. 360," AB de Villiers. Babar said that he admires De Villiers a lot and always practices his shots at the net.
Nasser Hussain interviews Babar Azam ahead of the start of Pakistan vs England Test series 🎙️#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/lo3AvT7UMZ
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 29, 2022
The Pakistani skipper said, "To be honest, my role model is AB de Villiers. I love him, especially with the way he plays his shots. So, when I see him batting on Television, the very next day I try to play similar shots in the nets and on the ground. I try my best to copy and play like AB de Villiers because he is my idol."
The first Test will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, between December 1 and 5, while the second game will take place on December 9 at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan. The third and final Test will be played on December 17 at the National Stadium, Karachi.
This three-match test series is very important for Pakistan in order to stay alive in the ongoing World Test Championship 2021–2023. Thus, the Men in Green need to win this series anyway to prove their worth in the WTC cycle.