Former South African batsman Herschel Gibbs on Monday called Pakistan captain Babar Azam “one of the best batsmen”. Having worked with Babar in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Gibbs believes Babar knows how to score runs with “unbelievable consistency”.
He also said that Babar’s mood is excellent. “He knows how to run. He has the hunger to run. No matter how many runs he scores, he is not satisfied,” Gibbs said, adding that the skipper knew how to improve his strike rate.
Gibbs named the Green Shirts as one of the favorites for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup and said Pakistan will reach the top four because the conditions are favorable for it.
Gibbs said that while the team lacks consistency, everyone knows how Pakistan can click on match days. He said Pakistan teams always have an X factor, which makes them dangerous.
Gibbs played 90 Tests, 248 ODIs and 23 T20Is for South Africa and participated in the Under-13 and Under-16 coaching programs at the National Cricket Academy.
Gibbs expressed delight at his Pakistan assignment and said: “It was as if I had never left Lahore. Nothing had changed in the hotel.
“I felt like I was in the South African team.” He added that he is very happy to be here, working with the talent of his age.
“Unfortunately, time is short, I wanted to see the U-13s and U-16s as well as the U-19s,” Gibbs said, adding that Asian batsmen are stronger on the front foot than the back foot.
“They have to play well in both areas. This mentality has to change sooner or later and the coaches have to work on it,” he said.
“I tell young batters about this too. It’s not just about playing fast.”
“After retirement, I am getting many opportunities in coaching. In modern day cricket, I think batting is good, but I have seen that today’s youngsters build their innings in a new way.
“Batters play shots in new aggressive ways without distinguishing bowlers.”
He also said: “The important thing is not to play fast; it’s to see what role you have to play in the team.”
