Key points
- Warner toughest overall, says Rabada
- Rabada praises Kohli, Root, Smith, Williamson
- Warner’s unorthodox style troubled Rabada
ISLAMABAD: South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has praised Pakistan’s Babar Azam as one of the most difficult batters he has bowled to, describing him as “a rock”.
Kagiso Rabada 🗣️
“Babar Azam is like a rock, especially when he’s playing in Pakistan. It feels like, man, how are you even going to get this guy out?#BabarAzam #PakistanCricket https://t.co/RCpyYbuQiG pic.twitter.com/JMzq5PsLbI
— Majid Fiftysix (@MajidFiftysix) September 29, 2025
Speaking on the Beard Before Cricket podcast, hosted by England internationals Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, Rabada reflected on the toughest batters he has faced throughout his distinguished career, which includes 71 Tests, 106 ODIs, and 70 T20Is for the Proteas.
When asked to name his most challenging opponents with the bat, Rabada singled out Babar for his composure and technique, particularly on home soil.
“Babar Azam is a rock, especially in Pakistan. It’s like, ‘man, how do you get this guy out?’” Rabada remarked.
Elite batters
The South African quick also named India’s Virat Kohli, England’s Joe Root, Australia’s Steve Smith, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson among the elite batters he has faced.
However, Rabada highlighted David Warner as the most difficult of them all, citing the Australian opener’s unconventional style and aggressive scoring as key factors.
“I actually found David Warner quite tough to bowl to. I think he’s the hardest because he was so unorthodox. He used to cut a lot of balls, and whenever I dropped my length short, he would just latch onto it and cut,” Rabada explained.
“He was the only guy who could do that against me. He was very hard. As much as I had a lot of success against him, I thought he was very tough to bowl to,” he added.
