Kamran Akmal feels that Saud Shakeel can reach the standards set by Babar Azam and Virat Kohli after his stunning start to his Test career.

Shakeel, who made his debut against England last year, has had a fantastic start to his career, with six fifties and two hundreds in seven games thus far, including an unbeaten 208 against Sri Lanka recently. He averages 87.50 and is the first player in the world to score fifties in seven successive matches since his debut. Shakeel has 875 runs, the most amassed by a Pakistan batter in his first 13 innings. Overall, he is ninth on the list of most runs by batters in their first 13 innings. His first-class average reads 54.09.

Akmal remains impressed with the No.5 batter’s heroics, and predicts a bright future for him, saying he could even go on to replicate the heroics of Babar and Kohli in the format.

As told to Express Tribune and quoted by Cricket Pakistan, he said: “I am looking at Saud from a different angle. I am considering him in the league, which includes big names like Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, and other five to six players. He [Saud] should be reaching near these players in the next three to four years – given the performance he has showcased, particularly when the circumstances were difficult.

“So, this is a good sign for Pakistan cricket when any batsman displays excellent batting performance, that too at an early age in early Test cricket.”

In the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, Pakistan, up against the hosts’ first innings score of 312, were in a spot of bother at 101-5, when Shakeel came to the rescue, scoring 208* – his highest first-class score. His knock helped Pakistan win by four wickets.

Kohli averages just under 50 in Test cricket, and recently equalled Don Bradman’s record of 29 tons in the format in 111 games. Babar, on the other hand, has scored nine hundreds in 49 Tests and averages 47.74, and is currently the No.4 ranked batter in Tests.