Azam as good as young Kohli: Pak coach Arthur

New Delhi: Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur heaped praise on middle order batsman Babar Azam by comparing him to Indin Test captain Virat Kohli today, saying the 22-year-old bears the same look as Virat had at the same age. Azam has played only three Tests, narrowly missing out on a century in Pakistan's loss to New Zealand in Hamilton this week when he was left unbeaten on 90 as the side was bowled out. But he has been in sublime form in the 18 ODIs he has played so far, averaging a staggering 52.11. Azam came to limelight when he score three back to back centuries against West Indies earlier this year. "He (Azam) is a young gun who will be an exceptional player," Arthur told Perth's 6PR radio ahead of Pakistan's sole warm-up match for their three-Test series against Australia. Virat had made his ODI debut at the age of 19 and is now considered to be one of the best around. "I'll go so far as to say, at the same age, I reckon he's as good as Virat Kohli, which I know that's high praise but he's right up there." Pakistan have retained the 16 member squad, which lost 0-2 to New Zealand in the recently concluded series, for the upcoming Australia tour. For South African Arthur, it will be his first time facing Australia since he coached them over a two-year tenure that ended in June 2013. He said Pakistan were ready to fire against an Australia Test team coming off a demoralising 2-1 series loss to South Africa and had learned a lot in New Zealand. "Had that series gone another Test match, we would have been better for the conditions," he said of the New Zealand tour. "Hopefully, this has put us in good stead for what we can experience in Australia." Pakistan play a three-day pink-ball clash next week against a Cricket Australia XI in Cairns before the first Test -- a day-night affair in Brisbane -- from December 15. The remaining two Tests are in Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7). They will also play five one-day internationals in Australia.