About Babar Azam
A right-hand, top-order batsman known for his discipline and level-headed attitude, Babar Azam laid claim to a long-term spot in Pakistan's batting line-up with a strong performance in 2016, making three consecutive ODI hundreds against West Indies in the UAE, and a 90 in his third Test, in Hamilton. He was 22 years old at the time.
Born in Lahore and a first cousin to the Akmal brothers, Azam made his way up through age-group cricket. His journey began at an under-15 world championship in 2008 and he played two under-19 World Cups in 2010 and 2012, where he was Pakistan's top run-scorer.
"We didn't have to guide him, he was on his own, but we were supportive all the way," Kamran Akmal said. Azam had the distinction of top scoring regularly in age-group domestic cricket before he was called up to the national side in 2015 and made his debut during the home ODI series against Zimbabwe - a rarity because Azam's rise was during Pakistan's isolation as an international venue due to security concerns.
His hat-trick of ODI hundreds against West Indies led to a Test debut in the Test series that followed, and Azam had to opportunity to cement his spot as the careers of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq wound down.
He would grasp that opportunity, and then some. Over the years that followed, Azam became, far and away, Pakistan's best batsman, the most famous cricketer in the country, and among the best batsmen in the world. He is, even with so much of his career still ahead of him, one of Pakistan's best ever batsmen.
He was the second fastest player to 2000 ODI runs and the second quickest to 1000 T20I runs. He already has more ODI hundreds than all but two Pakistan batsman, and a World Cup hundred in a crunch game against New Zealand will go down as one of the great individual Pakistan ODI performances. While the first couple of years of Test cricket didn't bring the instantaneous success of white-ball cricket, steady improvements year on year have seen him rank among the best Test batsmen since the start of 2018, too.
Several Pakistan players of this generation have seen regressions after a few years in the side, but Azam, mercifully for Pakistan, seems immune to even that malaise. The increased responsibility Pakistan have dumped upon his shoulders - he was appointed T20I and ODI captain in 2019 before eventually captaining the Test side since 2021 - appears to have had little impact on his personal form for now.
While he doesn't quite have a reputation as one of the deeper thinkers of the game, his captaincy shows embryonic signs of modern progressive thinking, and Azam is very much learning on the job. There appears to be no attempt to ease any of the pressure placed upon relatively young shoulders, but Azam appears not to be feeling the strain for now.
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Career
Babar Azam's career has been nothing short of spectacular. Here are some highlights:
- Babar Azam played his debut first class match on December 10 - 13, 2010 in National Bank vs ZTBL at Sialkot -
- Played his 1st List A match on February 10, 2010 in Pak Customs vs ZTBL at Multan -
- Babar Azam made his debut for Pakistan in his 1st Test match, Dubai (DICS), October 13 - 17, 2016, West Indies tour of United Arab Emirates
- Babar Azam made his ODI debut on May 31, 2015 in Pakistan vs Zimbabwe at Lahore -
- Babar Azam made his T20I debut on September 07, 2016 in England vs Pakistan at Manchester Click here to Jump to top (about)
Statistics
| Format | Matches | Runs | Best | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 52 | 3898 | 196 | 45.85 | 54.86 | 9 | 26 |
| ODIs | 117 | 5729 | 158 | 56.72 | 88.75 | 19 | 32 |
| T20Is | 114 | 3823 | 122 | 41.10 | 129.41 | 3 | 34 |
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Achievements
ICC Rankings
Babar Azam has consistently been ranked among the top batsmen in ICC rankings across all formats.
Centuries
He has scored numerous centuries in both ODIs and T20Is, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure.
Leadership
Babar was appointed as the captain of Pakistan's T20I team in 2019, leading the team with distinction. Now he is one of the most successful captains.
Other Big Achivements
*T20 Internationals (T20Is):*
1. Fastest to 1000 runs in T20I cricket for Pakistan.
2. Most runs by a Pakistani batsman in a calendar year in T20Is.
3. Fastest Pakistani batsman to reach 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 T20I runs.
4. Highest individual score by a Pakistani batsman in a T20I match.
5. Most runs by a Pakistani batsman in a bilateral T20I series.
6. Joint-highest partnership for any wicket in T20I cricket for Pakistan.
7. Most fifties by a Pakistani batsman in T20I cricket.
*One Day Internationals (ODIs):*
1. Fastest to 1000 runs in ODI cricket for Pakistan.
2. Joint-fastest to 1000 runs in ODI cricket history (joint with Hashim Amla).
3. Most runs by a Pakistani batsman in a calendar year in ODIs.
4. Most runs in a three-match bilateral ODI series for Pakistan.
5. Highest individual score by a Pakistani batsman in a World Cup match.
6. Most runs by a Pakistani batsman in a World Cup edition.
7. Fastest Pakistani to reach 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 ODI runs.
8. Most centuries by a Pakistani batsman in ODIs in a calendar year.
*Test Matches:*
1. Fastest Pakistani to reach 1000 Test runs.
2. Joint-fastest to 2000 Test runs in terms of innings (joint with Sir Don Bradman and Herbert Sutcliffe).
3. Highest average by a Pakistani batsman in Test cricket (min. 1000 runs).
4. Fastest Pakistani to reach 5 Test centuries.
5. First Pakistani to score a century in a day-night Test match.
6. Highest individual score by a Pakistani batsman in a day-night Test match.
7. Joint-highest partnership for any wicket in Test cricket for Pakistan.
8. Fastest Pakistani to reach 1000, 1500, and 2000 Test runs.
9. Most centuries by a Pakistani batsman in Test cricket in a calendar year.
Gallery
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