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[VIDEOS] Is Babar Azam the benchmark in batting for his generation?
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Rayyman
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He’s gonna be an ATG in white ball cricket inshAllah
Just a question why ABD wasn't included in Fab 4. He was always good in all formats especially after 2010.
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de Villiers was excluded because he was part of the previous generation (those born in the early 80s).
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Some say Babar Azam only makes runs against weak teams. In ODIs he has 100s against:<br><br>Australia in Australia<br>New Zealand in England<br>South Africa in South Africa<br>England in England<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvPAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/WfBcDxDP6X">pic.twitter.com/WfBcDxDP6X</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1378004454197370880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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OMB
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He is for Pakistan for sure. Did what was required of him.
ManFan
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Don’t know of a better young batsman so far.
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Former South African cricketer Shaun Pollock has heaped praises for Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam. The former South African star bowler also urged young cricketers from Pakistan to follow Babar Azam’s technique in batting. Currently, Babar Azam is 2nd ranked ODI batsman after Virat Kohli in ICC rankings.
Babar Azam, who is also the captain of the Pakistan Cricket team in all three formats, led Pakistan to a 2-1 victory against South Africa in a recent three-match ODI series. Azam smashed a century in the first ODI and a 94-run knock in the third ODI, bagging the player of the match awards in both matches.
impressed by Babar Azam’s technique in batting. “His demeanour when he goes to the crease, he seems so relaxed and it seems that he has got his game plan sorted out. He is not a very old individual so he is going to get better as the years go on.
“The technique that he has got, I have been really impressed. I mean, I see I hear that if a youngster is looking to copy a technique, you can’t go far from Babar Azam,” said Pollock.
Pollock also said that Azam plays in a relaxed position and is effective in all the conditions while batting.
“He gets into a relaxed position and he gives himself the best chances to be effective in all conditions, whether it’s slower or bouncier, fast or seaming; he has got such a good technique that he is going to stand the test of time.
“You just got to go and look at his figures. Sometimes you don’t understand a player and how good he is until you see him first hand and I have been impressed,” Shaun Pollock further added.
https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket...ngsters-should-follow-him-says-shaun-pollock/
Babar Azam, who is also the captain of the Pakistan Cricket team in all three formats, led Pakistan to a 2-1 victory against South Africa in a recent three-match ODI series. Azam smashed a century in the first ODI and a 94-run knock in the third ODI, bagging the player of the match awards in both matches.
impressed by Babar Azam’s technique in batting. “His demeanour when he goes to the crease, he seems so relaxed and it seems that he has got his game plan sorted out. He is not a very old individual so he is going to get better as the years go on.
“The technique that he has got, I have been really impressed. I mean, I see I hear that if a youngster is looking to copy a technique, you can’t go far from Babar Azam,” said Pollock.
Pollock also said that Azam plays in a relaxed position and is effective in all the conditions while batting.
“He gets into a relaxed position and he gives himself the best chances to be effective in all conditions, whether it’s slower or bouncier, fast or seaming; he has got such a good technique that he is going to stand the test of time.
“You just got to go and look at his figures. Sometimes you don’t understand a player and how good he is until you see him first hand and I have been impressed,” Shaun Pollock further added.
https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket...ngsters-should-follow-him-says-shaun-pollock/
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Mamoon
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At this point, any runs by Babar in a big run chase should be considered as a bonus.
He doesn’t have the mentality to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and run away with it especially in big run chases.
Peak Kohli demolish big totals for fun. Pakistani fans would be lucky to see even 2-3 iconic innings by Babar in 300+ ODI chases over the course of his career.
He doesn’t have the mentality to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and run away with it especially in big run chases.
Peak Kohli demolish big totals for fun. Pakistani fans would be lucky to see even 2-3 iconic innings by Babar in 300+ ODI chases over the course of his career.
Mobashir
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So much insecurity that you have to bring this the few games Babar doesn't perform.
Titan24
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No 1 ODI batsman now at 26 years of age. Thats a top effort and a lot of young players and players of similar age group can learn a lot from Babar’s journey.
mastimasti
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Of any batsman aged 30 or under he is head and shoulders above all of them. QDK has had a longer career but never developed beyond a pretty good thrasher, while the others OP lists (Rahul, Shai etc) are not worthy of comparison.
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MATTHEW HAYDEN speaking about Babar:
Yeah, you're right, he has played quite a lot of cricket against Australia, as have all of our boys, and I think one of the benefits of having an abundance of fastbowling, for example, is someone like Mitchell Starc, for example, is negated in the training sense because of the fastbowling arsenal of Pakistan.
I mean, every day these boys are facing Shaheen Afridi with a new ball in the nets and it's sometimes swinging, sometimes not, but the pace is still there like Mitch. So they get this great opportunity to train against the very highest level of fastbowling, as well.
There's a couple of boys that you haven't seen, as well, in this squad that will play their role in the future, no doubt, as well, in Dahani and Wasim. Lots of practice against great quality bowling I think is a huge advantage, similar to the day where as an Australian opening batsman, JL and I would go to the nets, and guess who we'd face: Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and then the bench was Michael Kasprowicz and Andy Bichel, and then the great Shane Warne would come in and knock you over for fun, as well, in the nets, so you're facing the best constantly in practice, which enabled you then to come to play your best game when it came to the actual match itself.
Babar and his personality is what you see is what you get. He's very consistent. He's very stable. He's not overly flamboyant. In fact I'd go as far as to say he's almost the opposite personality to someone like Virat Kohli, who's very animated, very passionate, and very boisterous on the field. Got great control, and he's got a wonderful temperament.
Babar Azam the batsman is highly talented, as you mentioned, and just to give you an insight into that talent, his ability to be able to consistently react to the ball is really second to none that I've seen. He picks up the line and the length of the ball quicker than the average cricketer that's going around, and that's the mark of someone that's a very fine player.
His reaction time, his ability to be able to play, I think, a consistent version of his best self means that he doesn't have to have all the innovations. He doesn't have to necessarily be stroking with any kind of increase or decrease in his temperament. He can remain pretty neutral. And then when he gets into the middle stages of the match, he also has the ability through just good cricket shots to find his natural tempo, which is a strike rate of around 140, 150 and beyond.
It's a great testimony to not only his game but how he can consistently scale his performances through greater strike rate, increased strike rate over time.
Yeah, you're right, he has played quite a lot of cricket against Australia, as have all of our boys, and I think one of the benefits of having an abundance of fastbowling, for example, is someone like Mitchell Starc, for example, is negated in the training sense because of the fastbowling arsenal of Pakistan.
I mean, every day these boys are facing Shaheen Afridi with a new ball in the nets and it's sometimes swinging, sometimes not, but the pace is still there like Mitch. So they get this great opportunity to train against the very highest level of fastbowling, as well.
There's a couple of boys that you haven't seen, as well, in this squad that will play their role in the future, no doubt, as well, in Dahani and Wasim. Lots of practice against great quality bowling I think is a huge advantage, similar to the day where as an Australian opening batsman, JL and I would go to the nets, and guess who we'd face: Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and then the bench was Michael Kasprowicz and Andy Bichel, and then the great Shane Warne would come in and knock you over for fun, as well, in the nets, so you're facing the best constantly in practice, which enabled you then to come to play your best game when it came to the actual match itself.
Babar and his personality is what you see is what you get. He's very consistent. He's very stable. He's not overly flamboyant. In fact I'd go as far as to say he's almost the opposite personality to someone like Virat Kohli, who's very animated, very passionate, and very boisterous on the field. Got great control, and he's got a wonderful temperament.
Babar Azam the batsman is highly talented, as you mentioned, and just to give you an insight into that talent, his ability to be able to consistently react to the ball is really second to none that I've seen. He picks up the line and the length of the ball quicker than the average cricketer that's going around, and that's the mark of someone that's a very fine player.
His reaction time, his ability to be able to play, I think, a consistent version of his best self means that he doesn't have to have all the innovations. He doesn't have to necessarily be stroking with any kind of increase or decrease in his temperament. He can remain pretty neutral. And then when he gets into the middle stages of the match, he also has the ability through just good cricket shots to find his natural tempo, which is a strike rate of around 140, 150 and beyond.
It's a great testimony to not only his game but how he can consistently scale his performances through greater strike rate, increased strike rate over time.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar Azam in 2021:<br><br>Tests - 416 runs at an average of 34.66<br>ODIs - 405 runs at an average of 67.50<br>T20Is - 939 runs at an average of 37.56<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/RXVhD6MAfh">pic.twitter.com/RXVhD6MAfh</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1476923187149557762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Babar Azam visting Dar-ul-shafqat orphanage and taking the children by surprise
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Zaz
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Very nice The kids mustve been over the moon
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Babar at the opening of Shoaib Malik's new restaurant.
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[VIDEO] Babar Azam & Shaheen Shah Afridi - Then and now....
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Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi have been named in ICC’s “Then and Now XI”, ahead of the U19 Cricket World Cup.
The team was compiled to showcase the upward trajectory of players since their arrival on the international stage.
“A team of players, one from each country, who played and excelled in ICC Under-19 World Cups overs the years, and has since continued to scale the heights in international cricket too,” the ICC said in a press release.
“Babar Azam played in two Under 19 World Cups – 2010 and 2012 – and finished as the third and second highest run-scorer respectively in the two tournaments, scoring a hundred apiece in the two events,” the ICC stated while lauding the Pakistan captain.
“Babar made his ODI debut three years after the second tournament, where he led the youth side and has since been one of Pakistan’s most prolific batters in all three formats. Babar has compiled more than 9,000 international runs and is now the Pakistan captain across all formats,” the press release added.
The game’s governing body also commended left-arm speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi, while naming his as “one of Pakistan’s standout seamers today”.
“Shaheen Afridi enjoyed a terrific tournament in 2018, picking up 12 wickets at an average of 14.58, including a stunning 6/15 against Ireland. Months after the tournament, Shaheen made his senior team debut in all three formats and now has over 150 international wickets. He is now the No.4-ranked Test bowler in the ICC Rankings,” the ICC said.
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Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi have been named in ICC’s “Then and Now XI”, ahead of the U19 Cricket World Cup.
The team was compiled to showcase the upward trajectory of players since their arrival on the international stage.
“A team of players, one from each country, who played and excelled in ICC Under-19 World Cups overs the years, and has since continued to scale the heights in international cricket too,” the ICC said in a press release.
“Babar Azam played in two Under 19 World Cups – 2010 and 2012 – and finished as the third and second highest run-scorer respectively in the two tournaments, scoring a hundred apiece in the two events,” the ICC stated while lauding the Pakistan captain.
“Babar made his ODI debut three years after the second tournament, where he led the youth side and has since been one of Pakistan’s most prolific batters in all three formats. Babar has compiled more than 9,000 international runs and is now the Pakistan captain across all formats,” the press release added.
The game’s governing body also commended left-arm speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi, while naming his as “one of Pakistan’s standout seamers today”.
“Shaheen Afridi enjoyed a terrific tournament in 2018, picking up 12 wickets at an average of 14.58, including a stunning 6/15 against Ireland. Months after the tournament, Shaheen made his senior team debut in all three formats and now has over 150 international wickets. He is now the No.4-ranked Test bowler in the ICC Rankings,” the ICC said.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Babar Azam era:<br><br>Captain of the ICC T20I Team of the Year.<br>Captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/M0j8dfcxVT">pic.twitter.com/M0j8dfcxVT</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1484156719026561024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Amjid Javed
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With Home test series vs Aus, Eng and NZ. Also SL away, its time that Babar stepped up as a test batsmen and scoes big 100s there should be no excuses.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nathan Lyon "I have always said from day one of my career that I want to compete against the best players in the world, and Babar Azam is definitely one of those guys" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1498990944384864256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Kianig89
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Big day for Babar hopefully he will deliver 
Kianig89
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Playing his part but it's difficult because he is one batsman among tailenders
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Labuschagne lauds 'phenomenal' Babar Marnus Labuschagne was full of praise for Babar Azam after Pakistan beat Australia in the second ODI
"I enjoyed every minute of watching it, although it was a pity it was against us, but that was a very good innings"
"I sat back and took something onboard for my own game to learn from that inning"
"To score a 100 of 73 balls, he barely stepped a foot wrong and the way he played was just phenomenal"
"If we can find a way to get him early and put pressure on the middle to lower order then we will have a chance, but look he batted us out of the game and fairplay to him as it was a tremendous innings"
"I enjoyed every minute of watching it, although it was a pity it was against us, but that was a very good innings"
"I sat back and took something onboard for my own game to learn from that inning"
"To score a 100 of 73 balls, he barely stepped a foot wrong and the way he played was just phenomenal"
"If we can find a way to get him early and put pressure on the middle to lower order then we will have a chance, but look he batted us out of the game and fairplay to him as it was a tremendous innings"
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar has skills, technique and jigar. The perfect mix when you are chasing a big total. <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babarazam258</a> <a href="https://t.co/jL0bgaEyM1">pic.twitter.com/jL0bgaEyM1</a></p>— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohammadKaif/status/1509823218496196608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
cricketjoshila
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I would say its still a long way for Babar.
hoshiarpurexpress
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No he ain't
hoshiarpurexpress
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Lol run out and he hit the ball so it was not LBW.. Poor game awareness.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highest average in ODIs (minimum 50 innings) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvNZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvNZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/jbTyfazNGx">pic.twitter.com/jbTyfazNGx</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1651626113821540354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Babar Azam has now completed 12,000 international runs
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Babar OUT! Matt Henry dismisses Babar Azam (54), Pakistan 145-2 in 28.3 overs
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Looked well set for a big score today - just doesn't seem to finish the job, irritating!
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Looked well set for a big score today - just doesn't seem to finish the job, irritating!
Since making a hundred against WI last year in the first ODI, Babar has made eight 50s without converting them into a hundred. At one stage, he had 17 hundred and 17 fifties. Right now, he has 17 hundreds and 25 fifties in ODIs.
That is poor from him in ODIs lately. It is his best format, he is the prime years of his career and he is playing at home against second string bowling attacks. He needs to make more hundreds.
That is poor from him in ODIs lately. It is his best format, he is the prime years of his career and he is playing at home against second string bowling attacks. He needs to make more hundreds.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="sv" dir="ltr">Quickest batter to 5000 runs in ODIs:<br><br>Babar Azam 97 innings<br>Hashim Amla 101 innings<br>Viv Richards 114 innings<br>Virat Kohli 114 innings<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvNZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvNZ</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1654451976820645890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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CricketingMinds
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What a classy batsman. Pakistan fans are extremely lucky to have him in their lineup.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar Azam in ODIs:<br><br>Innings 97<br>Runs 5088<br>Average 59.85<br>Strike rate 89.31<br>Hundreds 18<br>Fifties 26<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvsNZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvsNZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/NOpS5gsLLV">pic.twitter.com/NOpS5gsLLV</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1654492177181945858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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heddie19
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He just scored his 30th international century and 5000 ODI runs. An undisputed King of the modern game. Without a shadow of a doubt. We're lucky to have a batter of his caliber. I'll say it again, We're living in King Babar's era from past 4 years and 6,7 more years in future inshaAllah.
Bilal7
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Incredible player. MashaAllah.
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Babar's 107 today vs NZ in the 4th ODI
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highest batting average in ODIs (minimum 40 innings):<br><br>Babar Azam 59.85<br>Virat Kohli 57.32<br>Michael Bevan 53.58<br>AB de Villiers 53.50<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1654515906356051972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,863
Player of the Match in the 4th ODI vs NZ
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,863
Pakistan team celebrates Babar's accomplishment
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- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,863
Babar Azam reflects on his ODI career as he prepares for his 100th match
Karachi, 6 May 2023:
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has had an illustrious career since he made his debut for Pakistan in a One-Day International against Zimbabwe in Lahore almost eight years ago. The prolific batter has transformed himself into one of the most successful batters in recent history. He has been the number-one batter on the ICC ODI Rankings since 2 April 2022 and currently holds the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award, the last being his second in as many years.
When Pakistan and New Zealand will walk out for their final meeting of the five-match ODI series at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Babar, the fastest batter to 5,000 runs, will complete the century of matches in the format.
Ahead of the landmark match, the 28-year-old exquisite stroke-maker, spoke to the PCB Digital at the team hotel in Karachi on his ODI journey. His interview makes the 46th edition of the PCB Podcast a special one and is available here for viewing and free downloading for editorial purposes only.
Over the years, Babar has become synonymous to discipline, solid technique, consistency and level-headedness, and the right-handed batter revealed this is because of the sheer hard work he has put in since his first exposure to official cricket at the under-15 regional level.
Recalling the moment when he was first called up for the national side, Babar said: “It was a different feeling altogether. There was some talk about me being selected, but when I got the call, there was a lot of excitement. I was sitting with my family and it made them happy. When I entered the Gaddafi Stadium as a Pakistan player, I reminisced my journey of how I used to come here as a ball picker and how I had come here before Inzamam-ul-Haq’s final Test match, which was against South Africa, as a net bowler.
“I was not selected for the national academy for top performers after my first season as an U15 regional player as my performances were not up to the mark. That is when I started to set goals for myself and my first goal was to become a part of it and for that, I worked hard day and night. I used to leave my house for training at 11am and stay in the ground till sunset.”
The road to becoming an international cricketer was full of sacrifices. The Pakistan captain shared how at the poignant moments in his life, he was away from his family and how their support helped him reach the apex level.
“I was very close to my paternal uncle and when he passed away, I was on a tour with Pakistan U19 in South Africa. He always used to take care of my bats and repair them for me. I lost my paternal grandmother when I was playing a match in Islamabad. I could not make in time for the final rituals, as I could not find a bus to Lahore.
“My journey has had its fair share of sacrifices. But, I am glad that I have a family that supports me. My mother bought me my first-ever cricket bat and gear, and I used that bat for good two to three years. My dad has been a great influence in my life. He tells me to be never complacent and that keeps me hungry and focused. My brothers always lend me support in tough times.”
Babar said it was his three consecutive centuries in the United Arab Emirates against the West Indies that turned around his career and gave him the confidence.
Speaking about the 2016 series, he said though his start to international cricket was a good one as he scored five half-centuries in the first 15 ODIs, he was unable to convert the starts into big scores. The presence of Mickey Arthur, the then head coach and now team director, helped him evolve into a reliable stroke-maker.
“I want to mention Mickey as he played an integral role in my transformation. As a cricketer, there’s a feeling that if you are not up to the mark, you might get dropped from the side, but he gave me the confidence. He asked me to give my best to the side and not worry about getting axed from the side and that helped me a great deal. He did not only do it with me but with every player in the side and that is why we have eight to nine players in the side currently from that lot.”
Babar took the reins of the national side in 2019 and the added responsibility has brought the best out of him. While staying at the top of his game, he has also been able to get performances out of the team. At the time of the interview, Babar had the best ODI average of 73.72 for players who have captained their countries in at least 20 ODIs. The mantra behind that is clear communication to players and embracing the responsibility.
“The first year was a little overwhelming as there were a lot of things to deal with simultaneously as a Pakistan captain. But, I learned how to manage that. I also learned a lot from how Saifi bhai [Sarfaraz Ahmed] managed the team. I used to see his demeanour on and off the field and used to ask him questions that helped me.
“The most crucial bit in leading a team is to provide clarity to each and every player and have honest and open communication with the players. This breeds positivity in the team environment and brings everyone together as a team. As a captain, you have a kind of a dual responsibility because as a non-captain, you only focus on your field and batting, but now you also have to run a team. I enjoy taking responsibility and it brings the best out of me.”
For a player who is already regarded as one of the best the country has produced and who has earned tones of accolades over his already legendary career, what is the next goal that he has set himself?
“Being the captain of a World Cup winning side would be sweet,” he said.
Karachi, 6 May 2023:
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has had an illustrious career since he made his debut for Pakistan in a One-Day International against Zimbabwe in Lahore almost eight years ago. The prolific batter has transformed himself into one of the most successful batters in recent history. He has been the number-one batter on the ICC ODI Rankings since 2 April 2022 and currently holds the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award, the last being his second in as many years.
When Pakistan and New Zealand will walk out for their final meeting of the five-match ODI series at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Babar, the fastest batter to 5,000 runs, will complete the century of matches in the format.
Ahead of the landmark match, the 28-year-old exquisite stroke-maker, spoke to the PCB Digital at the team hotel in Karachi on his ODI journey. His interview makes the 46th edition of the PCB Podcast a special one and is available here for viewing and free downloading for editorial purposes only.
Over the years, Babar has become synonymous to discipline, solid technique, consistency and level-headedness, and the right-handed batter revealed this is because of the sheer hard work he has put in since his first exposure to official cricket at the under-15 regional level.
Recalling the moment when he was first called up for the national side, Babar said: “It was a different feeling altogether. There was some talk about me being selected, but when I got the call, there was a lot of excitement. I was sitting with my family and it made them happy. When I entered the Gaddafi Stadium as a Pakistan player, I reminisced my journey of how I used to come here as a ball picker and how I had come here before Inzamam-ul-Haq’s final Test match, which was against South Africa, as a net bowler.
“I was not selected for the national academy for top performers after my first season as an U15 regional player as my performances were not up to the mark. That is when I started to set goals for myself and my first goal was to become a part of it and for that, I worked hard day and night. I used to leave my house for training at 11am and stay in the ground till sunset.”
The road to becoming an international cricketer was full of sacrifices. The Pakistan captain shared how at the poignant moments in his life, he was away from his family and how their support helped him reach the apex level.
“I was very close to my paternal uncle and when he passed away, I was on a tour with Pakistan U19 in South Africa. He always used to take care of my bats and repair them for me. I lost my paternal grandmother when I was playing a match in Islamabad. I could not make in time for the final rituals, as I could not find a bus to Lahore.
“My journey has had its fair share of sacrifices. But, I am glad that I have a family that supports me. My mother bought me my first-ever cricket bat and gear, and I used that bat for good two to three years. My dad has been a great influence in my life. He tells me to be never complacent and that keeps me hungry and focused. My brothers always lend me support in tough times.”
Babar said it was his three consecutive centuries in the United Arab Emirates against the West Indies that turned around his career and gave him the confidence.
Speaking about the 2016 series, he said though his start to international cricket was a good one as he scored five half-centuries in the first 15 ODIs, he was unable to convert the starts into big scores. The presence of Mickey Arthur, the then head coach and now team director, helped him evolve into a reliable stroke-maker.
“I want to mention Mickey as he played an integral role in my transformation. As a cricketer, there’s a feeling that if you are not up to the mark, you might get dropped from the side, but he gave me the confidence. He asked me to give my best to the side and not worry about getting axed from the side and that helped me a great deal. He did not only do it with me but with every player in the side and that is why we have eight to nine players in the side currently from that lot.”
Babar took the reins of the national side in 2019 and the added responsibility has brought the best out of him. While staying at the top of his game, he has also been able to get performances out of the team. At the time of the interview, Babar had the best ODI average of 73.72 for players who have captained their countries in at least 20 ODIs. The mantra behind that is clear communication to players and embracing the responsibility.
“The first year was a little overwhelming as there were a lot of things to deal with simultaneously as a Pakistan captain. But, I learned how to manage that. I also learned a lot from how Saifi bhai [Sarfaraz Ahmed] managed the team. I used to see his demeanour on and off the field and used to ask him questions that helped me.
“The most crucial bit in leading a team is to provide clarity to each and every player and have honest and open communication with the players. This breeds positivity in the team environment and brings everyone together as a team. As a captain, you have a kind of a dual responsibility because as a non-captain, you only focus on your field and batting, but now you also have to run a team. I enjoy taking responsibility and it brings the best out of me.”
For a player who is already regarded as one of the best the country has produced and who has earned tones of accolades over his already legendary career, what is the next goal that he has set himself?
“Being the captain of a World Cup winning side would be sweet,” he said.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,863
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,863
When Babar walked in
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,863
Afghanistan's opening batsman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz:
"Yes my brother always talks about Babar with me and he asked that please take one shirt from Babar for me and I said ok, so he loves Babar. My brother plays good cricket, so yeah his favorite player is Babar,"
"Babar is the most favorite player for the younger stars, especially for me. I like his batting and the way he bats, I can see he's a legend right now,"
"Yes my brother always talks about Babar with me and he asked that please take one shirt from Babar for me and I said ok, so he loves Babar. My brother plays good cricket, so yeah his favorite player is Babar,"
"Babar is the most favorite player for the younger stars, especially for me. I like his batting and the way he bats, I can see he's a legend right now,"
Bhaijaan
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2011
- Runs
- 65,540
- Post of the Week
- 1
The guy is is a hard worker and one of the most humble guys in cricket. He’s earned it all. He’s literally the Sachin of this generation except that Sachin was more daring.
Also perhaps Babar is a better captain than Sachin. Not a great captain himself tactically, but better than Sachin.
hoshiarpurexpress
First Class Captain
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2020
- Runs
- 6,161
Babar Azam has been exposed in this WC and there are 21 other batters who have performed better then him at the biggest stage.
JaDed
Test Star
- Joined
- May 5, 2014
- Runs
- 38,405
Rachin seems more likely right now a great template to follow, let’s see how he holds up.
Dr_Bassim
Senior T20I Player
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2009
- Runs
- 18,849
- Post of the Week
- 8
He is the benchmark in how a poorly paced innings can lead to impactless runs.
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