In the annals of modern cricket, there is the Fab 4 of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson. But, there is one batsman from Pakistan who is making it the Fab 5 of batting. Babar Azam has been hailed as one of the modern greats to have come out of Pakistan in the last couple of years. Not since the likes of Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf has a batsman inspired so much interest in Pakistan. The brilliance of Babar Azam ever since he started featuring for Pakistan has been phenomenal. In ODIs and T20Is, he matches Virat Kohli in a lot of ways as far as consistency is concerned. Babar Azam has a fair distance to cover in Tests, but he is getting there.
His batting records are already ensuring the yardstick of Pakistan cricket is being pushed to the next level. The quickest to 2000 ODI runs and the second quickest to 1000 runs in T20Is. He is only behind two Pakistan players in the list of ODI centuries. Babar Azam already has a World Cup hundred, all before or when he was 25. At the age of 27, in the volatile environment of Pakistan’s shuffling policy, Babar Azam is now the captain and in line for greatness. At the age of 27, he has already reached the level Virat Kohli was. In the next years, if he stays consistent, Pakistan’s batting could see a new hero.
When did Babar Azam make his international debut?
Babar Azam made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe at a time when Pakistan was hosting their first international fixture at home after six years. His Test debut came against the West Indies in 2016 while his Twenty20 International debut was against England in Manchester that year.
Babar Azam and his ICC ranking
Babar Azam has surged in the ICC rankings, giving the likes of Virat Kohli firm competition as the best batter on the planet. In April 2021, Babar Azam was the No.1 batsman when it comes to ODIs. In that same year, he also became the No.1 T20I batsman. Babar Azam has formed a formidable opening partnership with Mohammad Rizwan.
Babar Azam and his records against opponents
When it comes to his batting, Babar Azam has a supreme record. In one series against the West Indies, Babar Azam scored three consecutive centuries to become the first player to score 350 runs in a three-match series. Centuries in Australia and England further cemented his reputation as one of the greatest players currently. His ODI record is such that he has surpassed the likes of Hashim Amla to ensure he has the most centuries before playing a certain amount of matches. In one edition of the T20 World Cup, he broke a record for most fifties in a single edition.
Babar Azam in various teams
Babar Azam has not played the IPL but he is a regular feature in other leagues. He played for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL. During the Bangladesh Premier League, he played for Sylhet Sixers and Rangpur Riders. In the English T20 blast, he was signed by Somerset.
Babar Azam and his list of centuries
Babar Azam is one of the rare Pakistan players who has scored a Test and ODI century in Australia. Pakistan have always struggled Down Under but in 2019, Babar Azam showed his class with a century in Brisbane. He could have hit another century in Adelaide but fell for 97. In ODIs in 2017, Babar Azam managed to hit a century in Adelaide but it was in a losing cause. He has an excellent record against the West Indies and Sri Lanka in ODIs, scoring four and three tons. Here is a list of his centuries.
Babar Azam ODI century list
| SCORE | OPPONENT | YEAR | VENUE | FOURS | SIXES |
| 158 | England | 2021 | Birmingham | 14 | 4 |
| 125* | West Indies | 2017 | Providence | 7 | 3 |
| 125 | Zimbabwe | 2020 | Rawalpindi | 13 | 1 |
| 123 | West Indies | 2016 | Sharjah | 9 | 1 |
| 120 | West Indies | 2016 | Sharjah | 8 | 3 |
| 117 | West Indies | 2016 | Abu Dhabi | 8 | 1 |
| 115 | England | 2019 | Nottingham | 13 | 1 |
| 115 | Sri Lanka | 2019 | Karachi | 8 | 4 |
| 106* | Zimbabwe | 2018 | Bulawayo | 9 | 2 |
| 103 | Sri Lanka | 2017 | Dubai | 5 | 0 |
| 103 | South Africa | 2021 | Centurion | 17 | 0 |
| 101* | New Zealand | 2019 | Birmingham | 11 | 0 |
| 101 | Sri Lanka | 2017 | Abu Dhabi | 6 | 0 |
| 100 | Australia | 2017 | Adelaide | 7 | 1 |
Babar Azam Test century list
| SCORE | OPPONENT | YEAR | VENUE | FOURS | SIXES |
| 143 | Bangladesh | 2020 | Rawalpindi | 18 | 1 |
| 127* | New Zealand | 2018 | Dubai | 12 | 2 |
| 104 | Australia | 2019 | Brisbane | 13 | 0 |
| 102* | Sri Lanka | 2019 | Rawalpindi | 14 | 0 |
| 100* | Sri Lanka | 2019 | Karachi | 7 | 1 |
Babar Azam Test T20I list
| SCORE | OPPONENT | YEAR | VENUE | FOURS | SIXES |
| 122 | South Africa | 2021 | Centurion | 15 | 4 |
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam
If Virat Kohli is the greatest player currently in India, then Babar Azam is on his way of becoming the best Pakistan has ever produced. Babar Azam has been in staggering form across formats, especially in the limited-overs format, is staggering. Babar Azam has an average of over 50 in ODIs, which is near Virat Kohli. As far as the number of centuries is concerned, it might take time before he comes close to the Indian cricket team skipper.
| Player | Format | Matches | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s |
| Virat Kohli | Tests | 98 | 7,854 | 50.34 | 254* | 27 | 27 |
| Babar Azam | Tests | 37 | 2,167 | 44.22 | 143 | 5 | 16 |
| Virat Kohli | ODIs | 254 | 12,169 | 59.07 | 183 | 43 | 62 |
| Babar Azam | ODIs | 80 | 3,808 | 56.83 | 125* | 13 | 17 |
| Virat Kohli | T20Is | 95 | 3227 | 52.04 | 94* | 0 | 29 |
| Babar Azam | T20Is | 73 | 2620 | 45.17 | 122 | 1 | 25 |
Babar Azam and his net worth, brand endorsements
Babar Azam is in the modern league of cricket greats. But, since he comes from Pakistan, his net worth is lower. His net worth is USD 4 million. When one talks about his cricket salary, it is slightly low. When it comes to the Pakistan Super League, he has an annual salary of Rs 1.24 crore. When it comes to his central contract in the Pakistan Cricket Board, his salary is Rs 5.31 lakhs per month.
Babar Azam endorses these products and is the brand ambassador of some
- Head and Shoulders
- Gray Nicolls
What is the age of Babar Azam?
Babar Azam is 27 years of age. He was born in 1994. His birthdate is October 15.
What is the height and weight of Babar Azam?
Babar Azam’s height is five feet 11 inches which is 180 cms. His weight is 67 kgs.
Is Babar Azam married?
Babar Azam is currently not married. But, he has often been linked to many girls because of his celebrity status in Pakistan.
Who are the family members in Babar Azam’s family?
Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, was a fast bowler who played local cricket in Lahore. Not much is known about his mother. But, many people may not realise it, but the Akmal brothers are his cousins. Kamran, Adnan and Umar are al cousin brothers of Babar Azam.
Does Babar Azam have a brother?
Yes, he has a brother. His name is Safeer Azam. He is the younger brother of Babar. His age is 21 and he too is an upcoming batsman from Lahore.
Babar Azam and his social media accounts
Babar Azam has a very limited presence on social media. Most of Pakistan’s cricketers, barring Shoaib Akhtar, do not use much social media. Babar Azam’s Instagram following is 1.8 million. On his Twitter profile, Babar Azam has 2.8 million followers. There is no official Facebook page for Babar Azam but there are many fan groups dedicated to him.
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