"Virat Kohli was chase master, Babar Azam has mastered that art" - Shoaib Akhtar heaps praise on Pakistan captain

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar lavished praise on star batter, Babar Azam, following his sensational knock against England on Thursday, September 222. Akhtar mentioned how the Pakistan skipper and Virat Kohli have mastered the art of run chases.

Babar produced a masterful knock (110* off 66) to power the hosts to a 10-wicket win over England in the second T20I to level the seven-match series at 1-1.

He added an unbeaten 203 with fellow opener Mohammad Rizwan (88* off 51) as Pakistan gunned down 200 with three balls to spare.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akhtar heaped praise on Babar, comparing him to former Indian captain Kohli, who is considered a "chase master". He said:

"Virat Kohli was chase master, Babar Azam has mastered that art. This is what Pakistan requires — the run and strike rates. Both the openers, especially Babar Azam. He showed once again, why is no 1 player of the world. When he scores quickly, he makes life easier for Rizwan. They complemented each other."

England, who batted first, delivered a formidable batting performance, led by Moeen Ali's 23-ball 55. However, the English bowlers proved toothless in front of the Pakistani openers.

Babar Azam becomes the second-fastest batter to score 8,000 T20 runs:

Babar Azam. (Image Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, the classy right-handed batter passed 8,000 T20 runs in 218 innings, beating Kohli in the process. West Indies legend Chris Gayle remains the fastest to amass 8,000 T20 runs, having achieved the feat in 213 innings.

The 203-run unbeaten stand between the Pakistani openers also proved to be the highest T20I partnership while chasing.

At the post-match press conference, Babar explained Pakistan's approach, saying:

"Look, you plan as per the conditions and the target set by the opposition and change your gears accordingly. It depends how you take things as it can go negative or positive. Hence, we always take it positively and try to listen to everyone's point of view without criticizing. Our job is to deliver performance and we attempt to do in a manner that Pakistan wins."

The third T20I will take place in Karachi on Friday, September 23.