'We call him Rahul Dravid': Babar Azam heaps praise on Pakistan youngster ahead of West Indies series

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is confident of his side's chances in the upcoming series against West Indies at home. The hosts will take on West Indies in a three-match ODI series which will be part of the World Cup 2023 qualifying round. It is all set to be a crucial series for the Men in Green, who will be hoping to continue their fine form after beating Australia 2-1 in the 3-match ODI series at home earlier this year.

Ahead of the start of the series, Babar reserved special praise for young batter Abdullah Shafique. While talking about his talent and skills, the Pakistan skipper went on to compare Shafique with the legendary Rahul Dravid and Kane Williamson. Dravid is regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time and was known for his splendid technique and grit.

Dravid, who is fondly called 'The Wall' by the cricket fans around the world, had a solid defensive game and used to frustrate the best of bowlers with his sublime batting. Williamson, on the other hand, is one of the most graceful batters in world cricket at present. Babar said there are shades of both Dravid and Williamson in Shafique's game.

Also Read: Virat Kohli invested a lot in him: Shoaib Akhtar lauds ex-India captain for KL Rahul's rise

"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 speaking ahead of the West Indies series.

"In the presence of Abdullah, the place of opener Shan Masood, another polished batter, may be in doubt but our main aim in selecting an individual is the team's interest," he added.

Also Read: Ex-India spinner Amit Mishra takes brutal dig at Shahid Afridi after latter's tweet on Yasin Malik 

Shafique made his debut for Pakistan in a T20I against Zimbabwe in November 20 and has so far played only 5 Tests and 3 T20Is for his country. He has 547 runs in 5 Tests at an impressive average of 68.37, including 1 hundred and 4 fifties to his name. In T20Is, he has scored 41 runs so far.

Shafique is part of Pakistan's ODI squad for the upcoming series against West Indies and will also be in action in the Test series against Nicholas Pooran's men at home.