Future of batting: Next Fabulous Four of World Cricket
‘Fab 4’ is one of the most used terms with less relevance in current time leaving the purpose it is expected to serve. Martin Crowe was the first to bring it up in 2014 just when the likes of Smith, Williamson, Kohli and Root were finding their feet in Test cricket around the age of 25. Even though those four players are around the age of 30, the term continues to come up day in and day out. In this article, we look at a group of four batsmen of 25 and lower age who are likely to make big marks in Test cricket in the coming years.
Here is the possible set of players who might be part of the future fab four list of Test cricket:
4. Janneman Malan:
Janneman Malan made his ODI debut earlier this year at home against Australia where he bagged a golden duck on debut before following it with an unbeaten hundred. Janneman does have great numbers in first-class cricket as he scored 3022 runs thus far at an average of 50.36 in 38 games. He got into franchise first-class cricket from 2018 where he amassed 1079 runs across 15 matches at an average 43.16 with help of four hundreds. The 24-year-old is an opener in general but can be a dynamic No.4 batter for the Proteas.
3. Shubman Gill:
Just like Janneman, the Indian youngster Shubman Gill is also yet to make his Test debut. The 21-year-old got a chance to make his ODI debut a year after featuring in the 2018 U19 CWC. But Gill hasn’t featured in an International game since his two appearances in his debut series. However, Shubman has made most of the chances he got on India A tours smashing double centuries in West Indies and New Zealand. Gill aggregated 2133 runs in 21 FC matches at an impressive average of 73.55 and is capable of batting anywhere in the top four.
2. Ollie Pope:
Ollie Pope got into the England team at the age of 20 itself following his rich batting performances for Surrey in the County Championship. Pope has played 13 Tests where he aggregated 645 runs at an average of 37.94. He smashed an unbeaten ton in the Port Elizabeth Test against South Africa earlier this year. Pope also scored fifties in the other two matches he played during the series. As on today, Pope has scored 2972 runs at an average of 55.03 across 43 first-class matches with help of nine hundreds.
1. Babar Azam:
Babar Azam’s name has done enough rounds to be included in the current 30-year-old fab four list, thanks to his huge success in limited-overs cricket. Babar is yet to be a reliable batsman in the longer format as he scored 2045 runs at an average of 45.44; well below his average in ODIs and T20Is. Babar’s record has been boosted by hundreds in three successive matches at home but has only one to his name outside Asia. In the recent Test tour of England, Babar managed to score only two fifties.
