Virat is close to my heart but...- Saqlain Mushtaq picks his favourite player between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam- Source (Twitter)

Pakistan coach Saqlain Mushtaq gave his two cents on the Virat Kohli-Babar Azam debate and decided to pick Azam over Virat Kohli. However, Mushtaq had a special message for Kohli and said that he is a player who is close to his heart.

The Kohli-Babar debate has been a hot topic of discussion for quite some time now, with the fans usually being divided about their opinions on both batters.

Speaking to Sportskeeda cricket, Mushtaq was asked his opinion on both players and asked to pick one between the two. The Pakistan coach said that he would definitely go for Azam, but Kohli is a player who is close to his heart.

"Definitely Babar kahunga... but Virat mere dil ke bohot karib hai (I will definitely pick Babar, but Virat is close to my heart),” said Mushtaq.

Recently, Sanath Jayasuriya was also asked to pick between the India and Pakistan stars. The Sri Lankan legend decided to go with Kohli and said that he is his and his son's favourite player.

"I like Virat Kohli. He is my favourite player and also my son's favourite player too," said Jayasuriya.

There’s no surprise that he is playing like this- Virat Kohli on Babar Azam

Despite the never-ending tussle between the fans, Azam and Kohli have always had immense respect for each other. The Pakistan captain extended his support to the Indian star while he was going through a lean patch in international cricket.

Recently, Kohli also heaped praise on Azam and said that the Pakistan star is someone who is always eager to learn and improve and wants to keep getting better.

"Babar is a very nice guy. I have always had good conversations with him. Kinship, I am not sure of but there is respect, there is always respect. He was always keen to learn. He spoke to me after our game in the 2019 World Cup. I have always said he is keen to learn and there’s no surprise that he is playing like this in all formats of the game. He is obviously a very talented player," Virat Kohli said.