Babar Azam: Pakistanâ€™s Next Great Batter

Babar Azam, age 28, is the next great Pakistani batter. He has established himself in the national team, and is turning out to be a limited-overs master, breaking plenty of records in both ODIs and T20Is. As a Test player, he can be an elite performer in the most challenging format too.

For Pakistan cricket fans, Babar will forever be the first Pakistani captain to win a World Cup game against India, doing what had eluded Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and so many others. He also helped defeat India, red-hot favorites and defending champions, in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. As many as 6 of his 9 Test hundreds have come on home soil, and he has also starred in Pakistan T20 League matches in front of passionate home crowds.

Babar, who is the leading batter in the history of the Pakistan T20 League, knows he has to end that drought if he is to be ranked alongside batting legends like Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq. As captain of a team that has often crumbled under pressure in big games in the last decade and more, he also needs to get more consistent performances out of his side.

The following information about Babar Azam gives you an opportunity to win real cash in fantasy cricket matches. Download the Howzat app and get a chance to win exciting prizes daily.

Babar Azamâ€™s Personal Details

- Name
- :
- Mohammad Babar Azam
- Age
- :
- 28 Years
- Birthplace
- :
- Lahore, Pakistan
- Height
- :
- 5â€²11â€³
- Batting Style
- :
- Right-handed batter
- Playing Role
- :
- Top-order batter
- Current Team
- :
- Pakistan National Cricket Team, Peshawar Cricket Team
- Jersey Number
- :
- 56

Babar Azam Current Rankings

T20 3
ODI 1
Test 4

Babar Azam Stats

- Format
- M
- Inn
- Runs
- HS
- Avg
- SR
- 100
- 200
- 50
- 4s
- 6s
- Test
- 47
- 85
- 3696
- 196 vs. AUS
- 48.63
- 55.03
- 9
- 0
- 26
- 430
- 22
- ODI
- 100
- 98
- 5089
- 158 vs. ENG
- 59.17
- 89.25
- 18
- 0
- 26
- 458
- 51
- T20I
- 104
- 98
- 3485
- 122 vs. SA
- 41.49
- 128.41
- 3
- 0
- 30
- 371
- 53

Babar Azam - Key Skills and Strengths

Like Virat Kolhi and AB de Villiers, two of the players he idolizes, Babar Azamâ€™s batting is characterized by the time he has to play a variety of shots. Though technically sound, he isnâ€™t the sort to get bogged down by the mechanics of batting. Like the best Asian batters, heâ€™s comfortable facing spin bowling. But some of his greatest achievements â€“ a Test century at the Australian fortress in Brisbane, a T20I century at Centurion in South Africa, and a 158 in an ODI in England â€“ have come in alien conditions. Like Kohli, Babar has mastered the art of risk-free run accumulation in white-ball cricket. His form has been more patchy in Tests, though there have been plenty of glimpses of undoubted quality. He has hit nearly 100 sixes in international cricket, but that isnâ€™t really his strength. When it comes to finding gaps in the field though, few are as gifted as he is.

Babar Azam Awards and Achievements

Currently ranked the No.1 batter in the world in both ODIs and T20Is, Babar has been incredibly consistent in white-ball cricket since his international debut in May 2015. In recent seasons, the responsibility of being the teamâ€™s leading batter has gone hand-in-hand with captaining the Pakistan cricket team. At the T20 World Cup in 2021, he became the first Pakistan captain to defeat India in a World Cup match, ending a losing streak across 2 formats that stretched back to 1992.

Here are some of Babarâ€™s biggest achievements in international cricket:

His ODI batting average of 59.17 is the highest among players who have played at least 50 games.
He was the fastest to 5000 T20I runs, getting to the landmark in 97 innings, beating the previous record set by Hashim Amla (101).
Babar Azam was named the ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2019. This award is given to the best player in the One Day International format.
He was the ICC Menâ€™s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2021 and 2022.
He was named captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year in 2021 and 2022.
He was named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year 2022

Babar Azamâ€™s Pakistan T20 League Journey

Babar started his Pakistan T20 League career with the Islamabad team in 2016 before moving to Karachi in 2017 and then to Peshawar in 2023. He was the leading run scorer in the competition in both 2020 and 2021. Babar is the one of the three batters to have scored more than 2000 runs in the leagueâ€™s history. As captain, he led the Karachi team to the Pakistan T20 League title in 2020. If there is a criticism of a batter who has been so consistent, it is that he hasnâ€™t often scored as quickly as other top batters in the format.

- Format
- M
- Runs
- HS
- Avg
- SR
- 100
- 50
- 4s
- 6s
- Pakistan T20 League
- 79
- 2935
- 115 vs. Quetta
- 43.80
- 124.84
- 1
- 28
- 323
- 46

Babar Azam: FAQs

Is Babar Azam related to Kamran Akmal?

Yes. Kamran Akmal is the older cousin of Babar Azam. His other cousins include Umar Akmal and Adnan Akmal.

Who is Babar Azamâ€™s favorite cricketer?

In a recent interview, Babar Azam revealed that legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has always been his favorite batsman.

Is Babar Azam the No. 1-ranked ODI batsman?

Babar Azam is currently the No.1-ranked ODI batsman with 886 points, ahead of Rassie van der Dussen and Fakhar Zaman.

Which Pakistan T20 League teams has Babar Azam played for?

Babar Azam started his career with Islamabad in the inaugural season of 2016. He switched to Karachi in the next season. Babar has been Peshawar's captain from 2023.

Was Babar Azam fastest to score 5000 ODI runs?

Babar Azam is the fastest batter to reach 5000 runs in ODIs. He achieved the feat in just 97 innings. South Africaâ€™s Hashim Amla previously held the record at 101 innings.