Babar Azam

Babar Azam
بابر اعظم

SI(C)
Azam in 2023
Personal information
Full nameMohammad Babar Azam
Born (1994-10-15) 15 October 1994
Walled City, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1]
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off break
RoleBatter
Relations
  • Kamran Akmal (cousin)
  • Umar Akmal (cousin)
  • Adnan Akmal (cousin)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 222)13 October 2016 v West Indies
Last Test6 January 2025 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 203)31 May 2015 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI19 February 2025 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.56
T20I debut (cap 70)7 September 2016 v England
Last T20I13 December 2024 v South Africa
T20I shirt no.56
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2010/11–2013/14Zarai Taraqiati Bank
2012/13–2014/15Islamabad Leopards
2014/15State Bank of Pakistan
2015/16–2017/18Sui Southern Gas Corporation
2016Islamabad United (squad no. 31)
2017–2022Karachi Kings (squad no. 56)
2017Guyana Amazon Warriors (squad no. 56)
2017Sylhet Sixers (squad no. 56)
2019–2020Somerset (squad no. 56)
2019/20–2023Central Punjab (squad no. 56)
2023–presentPeshawar Zalmi (squad no. 56)
2024Rangpur Riders (squad no. 56)
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 59 128 128 96
Runs scored 4,235 6,106 4,223 6,287
Batting average 42.77 55.50 39.83 42.19
100s/50s 9/29 19/35 3/36 12/41
Top score 196 158 122 266
Balls bowled 90 816
Wickets 2 7
Bowling average 21.00 66.57
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 1/1 1/1
Catches/stumpings 43/– 51/– 52/– 69/–
Medal record
Men's cricket
Representing  Pakistan
T20 World Cup
2022 Australia Team
Champions Trophy
2017 England & Wales Team
Asia Cup
2022 UAE Team
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 22 December 2024

Mohammad Babar Azam (Urdu, Punjabi: محمد بابر اعظم; pa; born 15 October 1994), is a Pakistani international cricketer and the former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. He is a right-handed top-order batter and he captains Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League.[2]

Career

In May 2015, Babar received his call-up to the Pakistani ODI squad during a home series against Zimbabwe. He marked his ODI debut in the third ODI match on May 31st, showcasing his talent by scoring a solid fifty with 54 runs from 60 balls.[3] This impressive start earned him a spot in both the Test and ODI squads for an upcoming series against Sri Lanka, although he didn't play in the Test matches. In the subsequent ODI series, he had a more modest performance, scoring 37 runs in the two matches he participated in. Babar's journey continued as he was included in the squad for the away ODI series against Zimbabwe in September 2015.

He made his Twenty20 International debut for Pakistan against England on 7 September 2016. He scored an unbeaten 15 runs off 11 balls. Pakistan won that match as well as series.[4]

He made his Test debut for Pakistan against the West Indies in Dubai on 13 October 2016 and scored 69 runs in his first innings.[5] He was the first player to score a fifty on his Test debut through a day/night Test.

In the Champions Trophy 2017, Azam scored 46 off 52 balls in the final match against India. Following an impressive Champions Trophy tour, the ICC sent the World XI team to visit Pakistan for a series of three T20I matches. Azam stood out as the highest run-scorer in the series, amassing an impressive total of 179 runs.[6] At the 2017 PCB awards, he was awarded Pakistan's ODI Player of the year.[7][8]

Babar captains Karachi Kings in the PSL and captains Central Punjab in domestic cricket.[9][10] In April 2021, he was the number one spot in the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen.[11][12] While in November 2021, he became the number one T20I batsman, a ranking he held in 2018.

References

  1. "Profile". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  2. "Babar replaces Wahab Riaz as Peshawar Zalmi's captain". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. "PAK vs ZIM, Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan 2015, 3rd ODI at Lahore, May 31, 2015 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  4. "ENG vs PAK, PAK tour of ENG 2016, Only T20I at Manchester, September 07, 2016 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. "PAK vs WI, West Indies tour of UAE 2016/17, 1st Test at Dubai, October 13 - 17, 2016 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  6. "Independence Cup, 2017/18 batting most runs career Records". ESPNcricinfo. 16 September 2017.
  7. "Babar Azam Profile - Age, Career Info, News, Stats, Records & Videos". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  8. "Babar Azam Reveal T20 World Cup Plans". www.t20worldcuplivestreaming.today. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  9. "Babar Azam wants to keep playing for Karachi Kings". Samaa News. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  10. "Sarfaraz Ahmed and Babar Azam to take charge of Pakistan domestic sides". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  11. "Its official: Babar Azam topples Virat Kohli to become world's no 1 batsman". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  12. "From tape-ball cricket to the top of the world: Babar Azam's incredible rise". www.icc-cricket.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.

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