Babar Azam

Babar Azam is a Pakistan International Cricketer. He made his first international appearance in an ODI against vs Zimbabwe at Gaddafi Stadium, May 31, 2015.

Teams

Pakistan U19, Sylhet Royals, Pakistan, Pakistan A, Islamabad United, Rangpur Riders, Karachi Kings, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Sylhet Sixers

Test Debut

vs Windies at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Oct 13, 2016

ODI Debut

vs Zimbabwe at Gaddafi Stadium, May 31, 2015

T20 Debut

vs England at Old Trafford, Sep 07, 2016

Babar Azam Awards and Achievements

• 2017-PCB’s ODI Player of the year
• ICC World ODI XI
• 2018-PCB’s T20I Player of the year

Career Statistics

Babar Azam International Career

2015:

– Babar Azam made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe on May 31, scoring 54 runs.

– He was selected for the Test and ODI squads for an away series against Sri Lanka but did not play in the Test series. In the ODI series, he scored 37 runs in two matches.

– Babar was included in the squad for the away ODI series against Zimbabwe in September but did not have significant contributions.

2016:

– In the ODI series against England, Babar scored 139 runs at an average of 46.33, including a crucial 62 in the first ODI.

– He was selected for the tour of New Zealand and emerged as the leading run-scorer in the ODI series with 145 runs at an average of 72.50.

– Babar made his Test debut against the West Indies in Dubai, scoring 69 runs in his first innings.

– Babar was the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in ODIs and T20Is in 2016.

2017:

– Babar became the joint-fastest player to score 1,000 runs in ODIs for Pakistan.

– He scored his first ODI century against the West Indies, followed by another century in the same series.

– In the Champions Trophy, Babar scored 46 in the final against India.

2018:

– Babar scored three consecutive centuries in the ODI series against the West Indies, breaking the record for most runs in a three-match ODI series (360 runs).

– He scored his first Test century against Australia.

– Babar suffered a wrist injury during a Test match against England.

– He was the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in the T20I series against Australia.

2019:

– Babar was named in Pakistan’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

– He became the fastest Pakistani player to reach 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year.

– Babar scored his 10th ODI century against New Zealand in the World Cup.

– He was named vice-captain of the Pakistan cricket team in ODIs and T20Is.

– Babar scored his first Test century on home soil against Sri Lanka.

2020:

– Babar scored his maiden T20I century against England.

– He was appointed ODI captain of Pakistan.

– Babar scored his highest Test score of 143 against Bangladesh.

– He was named T20I captain for Pakistan’s tour to England.

– Babar became the fastest batsman to score 2,000 runs in T20Is.

2021:

– Babar became the quickest batsman to reach 13 ODI centuries, surpassing Hashim Amla.

– He became the No. 1 ODI batsman in the ICC rankings.

– Babar scored his maiden T20I century against South Africa.

– He captained Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, leading them to the semi-finals.

2022:

– Babar broke the record for most runs in a calendar year by a Pakistan batter, surpassing Mohammad Yousuf.

– He scored his 18th ODI century, becoming the fastest to reach this milestone.

2023:

– Babar played his 100th T20I match for Pakistan against New Zealand. He scored his third T20I century, becoming the first captain to score three centuries in T20Is.

– Babar led Pakistan to a 38-run victory over New Zealand in the second T20I, becoming the joint player to secure the most wins in T20Is as captain.

– In the 4th ODI against New Zealand, Babar became the fastest batter in the history of ODI cricket to score 5,000 runs in terms of innings (97).

– He scored his 18th ODI century in the same match, becoming the fastest to reach this milestone.

– Under his captaincy, Pakistan became the No. 1 ODI team after 33 years.

– Babar resigned from captaincy in all formats following Pakistan’s disappointing World Cup campaign.

Domestic Cricket

Babar Azam’s domestic cricket career has been marked by exceptional performances and leadership. He started playing for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited and Islamabad Leopards as an emerging player. He then moved on to play first-class cricket for State Bank of Pakistan and Sui Southern Gas Company in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

In September 2019, Babar was appointed as the captain of Central Punjab for the 2019–20 domestic season. Under his leadership, Central Punjab won the trophy by defeating Northern in the final. Babar also led his team in the 2019–20 National T20 Cup, where he scored a century in the first match, becoming the first Pakistani cricketer to score three centuries and more than 1,500 runs in Twenty20 cricket in a calendar year.

He was retained by Central Punjab for the 2020–21 domestic season, continuing as both a player and the captain. During a match against Balochistan in October 2020, he became the fastest batsman in terms of innings (27) to score 1,000 runs in the National T20 Cup’s history. In the 2021–22 National T20 Cup, he achieved another milestone by becoming the fastest batsman, in terms of innings, to score 7,000 runs in T20 cricket (187 innings).

In the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Babar has represented Islamabad United and Karachi Kings. He joined Islamabad United in the inaugural season but moved to Karachi Kings before the 2017 PSL players’ draft. He performed impressively in the 2017 season, finishing as the second leading runs-scorer. He was retained by Karachi Kings for the following seasons and played a pivotal role in their success.

In the 2020 PSL season, Babar was appointed as the vice-captain of Karachi Kings. He emerged as the leading run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 473 runs with an average of 59.12. He led Karachi Kings to victory in the PSL final and was named the Player of the Tournament. Babar continued his outstanding form in the 2021 season, scoring 554 runs with an average of 69.25, breaking his own record for the most runs in a single PSL edition.

In December 2021, Babar was named as the captain of Karachi Kings for the 2022 PSL season. However, he was later traded to Peshawar Zalmi for Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik, where he was also appointed as the captain, replacing Wahab Riaz.

Other Leagues

Babar has also participated in other leagues around the world. In 2016, he was signed by the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Rangpur Riders (later renamed Rangpur Rangers) but could not participate due to national duties. He played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League and Sylhet Sixers in the BPL in 2017. In 2019, he joined Somerset for the t20 Blast county cricket competition, where he emerged as the highest run-scorer with 578 runs in 13 matches, including four half-centuries and one century, with an average of 52.54. He rejoined Somerset for the 2020 t20 Blast, where he scored his career-best score of 114 not out off 62 balls and completed his 5,000 runs in T20s, becoming the third fastest in the world and fastest Asian to achieve this milestone.

Babar Azam Records

• – Third-fastest Pakistani batsman to reach 1000 runs in ODI cricket (21 innings).
  – Joint fastest Pakistani batsman to reach 2000 runs in ODI cricket (45 innings), along with Zaheer Abbas.
  – Second fastest Asian batsman to reach 3000 runs in ODI cricket (68 innings).
  – Fastest player to score 5000 runs in ODI cricket (97 innings).
  – Record holder for most runs in the first 25 innings of his career (1306 runs).
  – Only cricketer to score 5 consecutive centuries in a single country (United Arab Emirates).
  – Fastest batsman to score 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 ODI centuries.
  – Second most centuries in ODIs for a Pakistani batter (19), behind Saeed Anwar’s 20.
  – Only batsman in history to score 3 consecutive centuries twice.
  – Fastest captain to reach 1000 ODI runs (13 innings).
  – Highest run scorer for Pakistan in a single World Cup (474 runs in 2019 World Cup).
  – Top ODI scorer for Pakistan in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
  – Top Test scorer for Pakistan in 2018, 2019, and 2022.
  – Highest Test score for a captain and for Pakistan in the fourth innings of a Test match.
  – First Pakistani captain to beat India in a World Cup match.
  – First Pakistani to win the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year twice.
  – Highest individual score for a Pakistani captain in ODIs (158 against England in 2021).
  – Fastest batsman to reach 2000 and 2500 T20I runs.
  – One of 3 Pakistani batsmen to score a century in all formats.
  – Highest T20I score and most centuries in the format for Pakistan.
  – Highest run scorer in the PSL in 2020 and 2021, and the league’s all-time leading run scorer.
  – First Pakistani captain and fifth overall to complete 1000 runs across all formats.
  – First Pakistani and fourth captain to score a century in every format.
  – Held the record for facing the fourth most balls (425) in the fourth innings of a Test match.
  – Record holder for the second-most minutes batted in the fourth innings of a match.
  – Joint most international centuries by a Pakistani captain.
  – Broke Ricky Ponting’s record for most fifty plus scores in a calendar year in 2022 with 25 scores greater than fifty.
  – Youngest cricketer ever to receive the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian award, at the age of 28.