Will Babar Azam finish as the best ever Pakistani batsman?

[MRSN]

The last night knock we saw a new side of Baber Azam. We all know he could play some beautiful shots and crisp cover drives but the manner he took apart SA last night it looked like he was improving his game like a top modern day player. It just showed that he has incredible talent and flexibility as a batsman. It also shows his hunger to become better and better.

When it comes to Pakistan batting I don't think thare are that many greats. Pakistan has always been a more bowling strong side than batting. It looks likes Baber will break all the records in Pak cricket.

Do you think he can become the best Pakistani batsman ever? What do you think he needs to do to claim that massive tag?

 

[Rana]

As long as injury, corruption or marriage doesn’t become an obstacle in his life....then yes he will InshaAllah

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Not dominating tests yet

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

He can get there. All the ingredients are good.

However, he still has to demonstrate he can conquer spin and also, he can play long innings against good opposition - particularly in clutch situations.

 

[Mamoon]

Yes he will. Purely on batting quality, he is already better than everyone else. The only thing he needs is to play more matches and thus accumulate more runs.

The bar is extremely low when it comes to Pakistani batting. Our so-called legendary batsmen are just decent compared to the standards established by other sides.

Babar doesn’t need to do much to become the GOAT Pakistani batsman.

 

[MHN1293]

As an all format player: yes, as a loi player: yes. But he might not surpass younis in tests.

 

[Varun]

At this rate, he'll be in the top-3 easily.

The other two being Miandad and Inzamam.

 

[ChTab]

In LOI it's not going to be hard for Babar, he is already #3 in the list for most centuries scored by Pakistani batsmen despite playing just 80 games.

This shows that how overrated we are as a cricketing nation when it comes to talent or skill.

This is so pathetic that in 48 years of ODI cricket we haven't produced a single cricketer who has scored 25 plus centuries in the format.

OTOH Babar will have to work quite hard to beat Younis tally in test matches(Centuries & total runs).

 

[hitthestump]

In LOI's he'll be the GOAT for Pakistan, an achievement that really isn't very hard at all.

Tests he has some way to go. A daddy score is glaringly missing from his achievements so far - just 143 is his all time highest so far.

 

[Rana]

Yes he will. Purely on batting quality, he is already better than everyone else. The only thing he needs is to play more matches and thus accumulate more runs.

The bar is extremely low when it comes to Pakistani batting. Our so-called legendary batsmen are just decent compared to the standards established by other sides.

Babar doesn’t need to do much to become the GOAT Pakistani batsman.

Babar will not get 30+ Test hundreds, numerous double hundreds and a triple ton like Younis Khan did.

Not sure what ‘extremely low bar’ you are referring to when it comes to Pakistan’s batting.

 

[Pakhs]

Babar will not get 30+ Test hundreds, numerous double hundreds and a triple ton like Younis Khan did.

Not sure what ‘extremely low bar’ you are referring to when it comes to Pakistan’s batting.

Who said he will not? How many test double Younis had at 26? He didnt start scoring big until he was 28+ and that too almost always in the subcontinent with odd big innings away.

 

[ChTab]

In LOI it's not going to be hard for Babar, he is already #3 in the list for most centuries scored by Pakistani batsmen despite playing just 80 games.

This shows that how overrated we are as a cricketing nation when it comes to talent or skill.

This is so pathetic that in 48 years of ODI cricket we haven't produced a single cricketer who has scored 25 plus centuries in the format.

OTOH Babar will have to work quite hard to beat Younis tally in test matches(Centuries & total runs).

Just a comparison of Pakistan vs other countries.
Pakistan, NZ, Eng: 0 players with at least 25 centuries in ODI
India: 3 players with at least 25 centuries in ODI
SL: 2 players with at least 25 centuries in ODI
SA: 2 players with at least 25 centuries in ODI
Aus: 1 player with at least 25 centuries in ODI
WI: 1 player with at least 25 centuries in ODI

 

[Rana]

Who said he will not? How many test double Younis had at 26? He didnt start scoring big until he was 28+ and that too almost always in the subcontinent with odd big innings away.

Younis Khan was not kicking off in Test cricket (2004/5 onwards) during a time when T20 cricket was taking up 60% of the annual calendar.

Back then, Test and ODI were the main formats and were pretty much overtaken by T20 around 2010/11. Pakistan do not play as much Test cricket now as they used to. If Babar does get 34+ Test centuries, I would be highly surprised

 

[Markhor]

Babar has underachieved in Tests. He has the strokeplay but lacks concentration, especially after breaks in play.

He has the capability to score 10k Test runs but we'll need to play a lot more Test cricket, and he needs to ensure his conversion rate is as good as it is in LOIs.

 

[Ab Fan]

Depends on test format but surely top 2.

 

[shamaan]

Younis Khan was not kicking off in Test cricket (2004/5 onwards) during a time when T20 cricket was taking up 60% of the annual calendar.

Back then, Test and ODI were the main formats and were pretty much overtaken by T20 around 2010/11. Pakistan do not play as much Test cricket now as they used to. If Babar does get 34+ Test centuries, I would be highly surprised

Your right i dont expect him to get 34+ centuries but he should get close to 25 centuries atleast.

 

[shamaan]

I think in tests he has a long way to go.but in the other formats he will be at the top of the tree easily

 

[Bigboii]

People are severely underrating Miandad....

 

[Rana]

People are severely underrating Miandad....

Not people. One person only. His opinion hardly ever matters anyways

 

[Rana]

Your right i dont expect him to get 34+ centuries but he should get close to 25 centuries atleast.

To score around 25, he will need to somehow rack up 20+ tons in the next 10 years before he becomes a liability at Test level.

For this, Pakistan needs to be playing 3 or 4 match Test series at home and not these pointless 2 Test series. Think about it, Pakistani batsmen had 4 innings against New Zealand and 4 innings against South Africa since December 2020. How can you develop that moment and good run the way Mohammad Yousuf did in 2006-7 (I believe) where he was racking up centuries every other innings for fun. T20 cricket and the amount of time it takes up on the calendar is not going to let Babar (and possibly Rizwan also) to achieve the great numbers in Test

 

[Azrim_91]

It depends what you define as best batsman. In my eyes if you win matches for your country regardless of your average or number of centuries then you are a GOAT.

Azhar Ali is a prime example of someone who’s in the top 5 Batman’s in terms of runs and average but I can’t remember a game where he single-handedly wins a game for his team. Stokes with a 30 avg has done more for England with the bat then Azhar Ali ever has for Pakistan.

To conclude my waffle.... if Babar wins games for his team like he did yesterday, I don’t care how many centuries or runs he scores... he’ll be the goat for Pakistan.

 

[Rana]

I personally feel, if the ODI format survives without some kind of stupid modification such as 4 innings of 20 overs....

Babar can play till he is 40-41 (unless he retires at 35/36 in order to pursue big pay cheques in T20 leagues). Babar can aim for 15,000 ODI runs. That would be a monumental achievement as a Pakistani Batsman.

8000-10,000 Test runs will probably be what Babar achieves


I also have a 6th sense feeling that Pakistan will win a 50 over World Cup during Babar’s career.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Yes he will be one of the greatest batsmen for Pakistan in shorter format. However is status in tests will hugely depend upon his performance in next 3 years.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

It depends what you define as best batsman. In my eyes if you win matches for your country regardless of your average or number of centuries then you are a GOAT.

Azhar Ali is a prime example of someone who’s in the top 5 Batman’s in terms of runs and average but I can’t remember a game where he single-handedly wins a game for his team. Stokes with a 30 avg has done more for England with the bat then Azhar Ali ever has for Pakistan.

To conclude my waffle.... if Babar wins games for his team like he did yesterday, I don’t care how many centuries or runs he scores... he’ll be the goat for Pakistan.

Azhar did score a crucial century in famous run chase vs Sri Lanka at Sharjah.

To be honest he did pretty well in Champions trophy 2017 as well despite not being his suited format.

 

[Mamoon]

Babar will not get 30+ Test hundreds, numerous double hundreds and a triple ton like Younis Khan did.

Not sure what ‘extremely low bar’ you are referring to when it comes to Pakistan’s batting.

When you talk about best Pakistani batsman, you have to take all formats into consideration. Babar will not match Younis’ numbers in Test cricket or Miandad’s legacy, but when you take all formats into consideration, he will surpass both.

If Babar scores 20-25 Test along with 30+ ODI hundreds, he will comfortably establish himself the GOAT Pakistani batsman.

He is the first Pakistani batsman since Yousuf who has the game for all formats, which says everything about Pakistan’s batting standards.

 

[moghul]

I'm not so sure, I'm still have some doubts about Babar's mental toughness compared to Miandad.

Babar has so far performed better than I expected from him , particularly on foreign soil,

He is already ahead of Younis, whom I don't rank that high , but long way to go to be ahead of Inzi, Yousuf, Mianad, Zaheer and Majid.

 

[sindhiboy]

I'm not so sure, I'm still have some doubts about Babar's mental toughness compared to Miandad.

Babar has so far performed better than I expected from him , particularly on foreign soil,

He is already ahead of Younis, whom I don't rank that high , but long way to go to be ahead of Inzi, Yousuf, Mianad, Zaheer and Majid.

Younis khan is the leading run scorer in tests.
Babar isn't near him in tests.
Hopefully babar will play 100 tests

 

[moghul]

Younis khan is the leading run scorer in tests.
Babar isn't near him in tests.
Hopefully babar will play 100 tests

Younis was a UAE king and scored most of his runs in flat tracks, very few good innings against a quality bowling overseas . His century would come after a long run of low scores, particularly in SENA. I don;t go for quantity but quality of runs.

The way Majid scored against WI, Australia and England ( world cup ), I would not expect that quality innings from Younis Kahn.

 

[MenInG]

 

[pillionrider]

Irrespective of what happens in this semifinal, he transferred the pressure back on to Australia with the help of the crowd, resulting in the dropped chances - Rizwan looked so nervous early on.

And that drive off Hazlewood

 

[Firebat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan's highest run-scorers in T20Is:<br><br>Babar Azam 2515 (64 innings)<br>Mohammad Hafeez 2514 (108 innings)<br>Shoaib Malik 2423 (110 innings)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BANvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BANvPAK</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/1462005544173158404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Unbiased-Fan]

Babar has to perform in test format to consider him Pakistan's best ever.He is already one of the their best limited overs cricket.
Take example of Younis Khan.. He was absolutely gun test batsman and undoubtedly best ever produced by Pakistan but his weak ODI statistics means he is not even my top 3 picks for Pakistan..
For me Miandad and Inzamam are still best ever batsmans produced by Pakistan followed by Anwar and Yousuf with Younis comes later.
With an improved test performance, Babar can become Pakistan's greatest ever all format batsman.

 

[Ab Fan]

In Test cricket, it will be hard for him to surpass Miandad and Younis.

In LOIs, he can become Pakistan's best ever because of his consistency all round the world.

All in all, a world cup knockout performance along with 50+ ODI average and 47+ test average will be required to cement himself as a great of the game. Against pace and bounce, he is definitely better than Miandad, Inzamam, Younis or Yousuf.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Definitely one of the most organized batsman i have seen from Pakistan with good technique. Zaheer Abbas was an absolute beast when in touch. Miandad was a great percentage cricketer. Then came Inzi with a lot of natural flavor. Very instinctive player. On song very few could match Inzi. Moyo had a good technique. Younis was a bit unconventional. But very effective. Moyo was often blamed for scoring runs in useless matches. Younis definitely made some very important runs. But when we strictly talk about playing spin i don't think he is as good as say someone like Salim Malik or Younis Khan. He does have issues against wrist spinners.

 

[transparent opacity]

He's already one of the best batsmen Pak ever produced in LOI's.
However, in Tests, he has a long way to go before he can be considered among the greats.

 

[sweep_shot]

I think Babar Azam should end up as the greatest Pakistani batsman of all time. He has already achieved many great things and he is not even 30 yet.

 

[Mobashir]

His not so good test record apart, let Pakistanis, I haven't seen anyone else play great fast bowling, so easely, so well.
It is a top form Ponting level.
He just has to do more in tests.

 

[Mamoon]

Yes he probably will because he is a very fine batsman and also because the bar is extremely low.

Pakistan’s batting legacy is an embarrassment. We have only produce one ATG batsman so far (Miandad) and even he will not get into the C team of an all-time XI.

All other batsman like Inzamam, Younis, Yousuf, Zaheer, Majid, Hanif are Pakistani legends only, not global legends.

Pakistan is the least talented cricket nation ever with a middling legacy in all departments except pace bowling, so the likes of Babar and Rizwan don’t need to do much to be considered as the best ever Pakistani players in their respective roles.

The likes of Shaheen certainly face a much more daunting task because he has a long, long way to go before he can be considered comparable to the likes of Wasim and Imran.

 

[DRsohail]

He has done nothing in test cricket so far.

 

[Adi_62945]

Yes he probably will because he is a very fine batsman and also because the bar is extremely low.

Pakistan’s batting legacy is an embarrassment. We have only produce one ATG batsman so far (Miandad) and even he will not get into the C team of an all-time XI.

All other batsman like Inzamam, Younis, Yousuf, Zaheer, Majid, Hanif are Pakistani legends only, not global legends.

Pakistan is the least talented cricket nation ever with a middling legacy in all departments except pace bowling, so the likes of Babar and Rizwan don’t need to do much to be considered as the best ever Pakistani players in their respective roles.

The likes of Shaheen certainly face a much more daunting task because he has a long, long way to go before he can be considered comparable to the likes of Wasim and Imran.

Spot on!!

One more thing is that babar need to perform better in tests matches. What he is currently good at in ODI and T20 which are least relevant if you ask international gurus and critics. If he manages to perform in Tests and maintains an average of above 50, he shall be able to find a place alongside kohli, smith and williamson as the modern great of this century so far
But looking at his FC average which is very average, i am afraid he will be that good in test matches.

 

[Mamoon]

Spot on!!

One more thing is that babar need to perform better in tests matches. What he is currently good at in ODI and T20 which are least relevant if you ask international gurus and critics. If he manages to perform in Tests and maintains an average of above 50, he shall be able to find a place alongside kohli, smith and williamson as the modern great of this century so far
But looking at his FC average which is very average, i am afraid he will be that good in test matches.

His FC average is based on the matches that he played by the age of 23-24. He has hardly played any FC matches since his introduction in the Test cricket.

Very few batsmen have averaged 50+ in FC cricket at such a young age. If he starts playing FC regularly now, he will certainly average 50+ because he is too good a batsman and our bowling is poor.

To average 50+ in Test cricket he will need to improve his technique against spin. An Asian batsman cannot average 50+ without being extremely proficient against spin bowling.

 

[Adi_62945]

His FC average is based on the matches that he played by the age of 23-24. He has hardly played any FC matches since his introduction in the Test cricket.

Very few batsmen have averaged 50+ in FC cricket at such a young age. If he starts playing FC regularly now, he will certainly average 50+ because he is too good a batsman and our bowling is poor.

To average 50+ in Test cricket he will need to improve his technique against spin. An Asian batsman cannot average 50+ without being extremely proficient against spin bowling.

I partially agree. As he has struggled a lot in test matches recently. I know he can improve that for sure. But he should have done better in test matches.

 

[MenInG]

As sweet as it gets....

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/konswx" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[Firebat]

196 on Day 4 and 5 against the #1 team in the world. Babar has finally made one count, and made it count big.

 

[shamaan]

What a great knock his best Innings in any format.

 

[Firebat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Most ODI hundreds for Pakistan:<br><br>20 Saeed Anwar in 244 innings<br>16 Babar Azam in 84 innings<br>15 Mohammad Yousuf in 267 innings<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvAUS</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1510291005530157056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Babar Azam's last 11 ODI scores:<br><br>105*<br>114<br>57<br>158<br>19<br>0<br>94<br>31<br>103<br>125<br>77*<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/1510293230939779076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Best ODI batter in the world. And well on this way to becoming Pakistan's all-time best in this format.

If there were any doubts about his ability to win matches, they certainly shouldn't be anymore.

 

[sam_ahm]

This is the era of Babar Azam. What a player! &#55357;&#56399;&#55357;&#56399;&#55357;&#56399;

 

[Bewal Express]

Another brilliant innings, not playing for stats, grabbed the game and won.

 

[The_KING]

Brilliant innings and another hundred in a chase. He will definitely end up as Pakistan's greatest ODI and T20 batsman. As far as tests are concerned, we don't know if he will surpass Miandad, YK or Inzi. That will largely depend on how many test matches we play.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Well on his way to becoming the best LOI batter for Pakistan.

Tests, I am not sure. Miandad, Inzi, Younis, Yousaf are quite big names he will have to leapfrog.

 

[MenInG]

With Pakistan captain Babar Azam's rise in international cricket with his incredible consistency and ability to win matches for his team, the debate of the youngster being part of the famous Fab Four grows stronger. Veterans and experts have all placed their opinion on whether Babar should join Virat Kohli in the elite list, and former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh gave his verdict on the same.

The Fab Four comprises of former skippers Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and incumbent New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Their ability to win matches and score on a consistent basis across formats has led to cricket fans hailing them as Fab Four of world cricket. Babar has shown similar signs early in his career, which has led to many touting the Pakistan captain to be part of the group.

However, Harbhajan, in conversation with Sportskeeda, admitted that while it might be a tad too early to come to a conclusion in this debate, Babar does have the potential to end his career as “one of the legends of cricket”.

“I think it is a bit too early to say if he can be in the Fab 4. I don't even know who are in the Fab 4. But Babar definitely has the quality, he is a proper batsman with so much of confidence and technique. Going forward he will be one of the legends of cricket. But now its too early to put him in any league. Let him play and keep on scoring more runs and winning games for his team. And talent wise he is no less than anyone else,” he said.

Babar has so far played 40 Tests, 86 ODIs and 74 T20Is for Pakistan scoring 2851, 4261 and 2686 runs respectively with 23 international centuries and 65 half-centuries. He is also the only player to be part of the top 5 in all ICC ranking charts. He stands fifth among batters in Tests and holds the top spot in limited-overs cricket.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ould-be-part-of-fab-four-101650784694455.html

 

[as-95]

With Pakistan captain Babar Azam's rise in international cricket with his incredible consistency and ability to win matches for his team, the debate of the youngster being part of the famous Fab Four grows stronger. Veterans and experts have all placed their opinion on whether Babar should join Virat Kohli in the elite list, and former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh gave his verdict on the same.

The Fab Four comprises of former skippers Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and incumbent New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Their ability to win matches and score on a consistent basis across formats has led to cricket fans hailing them as Fab Four of world cricket. Babar has shown similar signs early in his career, which has led to many touting the Pakistan captain to be part of the group.

However, Harbhajan, in conversation with Sportskeeda, admitted that while it might be a tad too early to come to a conclusion in this debate, Babar does have the potential to end his career as “one of the legends of cricket”.

“I think it is a bit too early to say if he can be in the Fab 4. I don't even know who are in the Fab 4. But Babar definitely has the quality, he is a proper batsman with so much of confidence and technique. Going forward he will be one of the legends of cricket. But now its too early to put him in any league. Let him play and keep on scoring more runs and winning games for his team. And talent wise he is no less than anyone else,” he said.

Babar has so far played 40 Tests, 86 ODIs and 74 T20Is for Pakistan scoring 2851, 4261 and 2686 runs respectively with 23 international centuries and 65 half-centuries. He is also the only player to be part of the top 5 in all ICC ranking charts. He stands fifth among batters in Tests and holds the top spot in limited-overs cricket.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ould-be-part-of-fab-four-101650784694455.html

Harbajhan has just admitted he doesn't even know who is in the Fab 4 so i would ignore his opinion completely. Babar is probably the best batsman right now from the Fab 4!

He is definitely already an ATG and probably will end up as a top 5 ALL TIME batsman.

 

[Mesozoic]

Harbajhan has just admitted he doesn't even know who is in the Fab 4 so i would ignore his opinion completely. Babar is probably the best batsman right now from the Fab 4!

He is definitely already an ATG and probably will end up as a top 5 ALL TIME batsman.

My golly!

Already an ATG? Based on what exactly?

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> last year, Pakistan superstar <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babarazam258</a> became the fastest to 2000 T20I runs, reaching the mark in just 52 innings &#55357;&#56613;<br><br>What is your favourite Babar innings in T20Is? <a href="https://t.co/xk6BK1iSGx">pic.twitter.com/xk6BK1iSGx</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1518537879248584705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[jeetu]

Pakistan's top batsman (min 2000 runs)

Tests
[table=class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Player [/td][td]Span [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Runs [/td][td]Avg [/td][td]100 [/td][td]50 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Javed Miandad [/td][td]1976-1993 [/td][td]124 [/td][td]8832 [/td][td]52.57 [/td][td]23 [/td][td]43 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mohammad Yousuf [/td][td]1998-2010 [/td][td]90 [/td][td]7530 [/td][td]52.29 [/td][td]24 [/td][td]33 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Younis Khan [/td][td]2000-2017 [/td][td]118 [/td][td]10099 [/td][td]52.05 [/td][td]34 [/td][td]33 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inzamam-ul-Haq [/td][td]1992-2007 [/td][td]119 [/td][td]8829 [/td][td]50.16 [/td][td]25 [/td][td]46 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Misbah-ul-Haq [/td][td]2001-2017 [/td][td]75 [/td][td]5222 [/td][td]46.62 [/td][td]10 [/td][td]39 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Babar Azam [/td][td]2016-2022 [/td][td]40 [/td][td]2851 [/td][td]45.98 [/td][td]6 [/td][td]21 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Saeed Anwar [/td][td]1990-2001 [/td][td]55 [/td][td]4052 [/td][td]45.52 [/td][td]11 [/td][td]25 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Zaheer Abbas [/td][td]1969-1985 [/td][td]78 [/td][td]5062 [/td][td]44.79 [/td][td]12 [/td][td]20 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Shoaib Mohammad [/td][td]1983-1995 [/td][td]45 [/td][td]2705 [/td][td]44.34 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]13 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Hanif Mohammad [/td][td]1952-1969 [/td][td]55 [/td][td]3915 [/td][td]43.98 [/td][td]12 [/td][td]15 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Saleem Malik [/td][td]1982-1999 [/td][td]103 [/td][td]5768 [/td][td]43.69 [/td][td]15 [/td][td]29 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Azhar Ali [/td][td]2010-2022 [/td][td]94 [/td][td]7021 [/td][td]43.07 [/td][td]19 [/td][td]35 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Saeed Ahmed [/td][td]1958-1973 [/td][td]41 [/td][td]2991 [/td][td]40.41 [/td][td]5 [/td][td]16 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

ODI
[table=class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Player [/td][td]Span [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Runs [/td][td]Avg [/td][td]SR [/td][td]100 [/td][td]50 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Babar Azam [/td][td]2015-2022 [/td][td]86 [/td][td]4261 [/td][td]59.18 [/td][td]90.29 [/td][td]16 [/td][td]18 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Imam-ul-Haq [/td][td]2017-2022 [/td][td]49 [/td][td]2321 [/td][td]53.97 [/td][td]82.53 [/td][td]9 [/td][td]11 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Zaheer Abbas [/td][td]1974-1985 [/td][td]62 [/td][td]2572 [/td][td]47.62 [/td][td]84.8 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]13 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Fakhar Zaman [/td][td]2017-2022 [/td][td]56 [/td][td]2427 [/td][td]46.67 [/td][td]95.21 [/td][td]6 [/td][td]14 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Misbah-ul-Haq [/td][td]2002-2015 [/td][td]162 [/td][td]5122 [/td][td]43.4 [/td][td]73.75 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]42 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mohammad Yousuf [/td][td]1998-2010 [/td][td]281 [/td][td]9554 [/td][td]42.08 [/td][td]74.91 [/td][td]15 [/td][td]62 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Javed Miandad [/td][td]1975-1996 [/td][td]233 [/td][td]7381 [/td][td]41.7 [/td][td]67.01 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]50 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inzamam-ul-Haq [/td][td]1991-2007 [/td][td]375 [/td][td]11701 [/td][td]39.53 [/td][td]74.2 [/td][td]10 [/td][td]83 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Saeed Anwar [/td][td]1989-2003 [/td][td]247 [/td][td]8824 [/td][td]39.21 [/td][td]80.67 [/td][td]20 [/td][td]43 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Yasir Hameed [/td][td]2003-2007 [/td][td]56 [/td][td]2028 [/td][td]36.87 [/td][td]66.95 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]12 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Salman Butt [/td][td]2004-2010 [/td][td]78 [/td][td]2725 [/td][td]36.82 [/td][td]76.28 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]14 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

T20
[table=class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Player [/td][td]Span [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Runs [/td][td]HS [/td][td]Avg [/td][td]SR [/td][td]100 [/td][td]50 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Babar Azam [/td][td]2016-2022 [/td][td]74 [/td][td]2686 [/td][td]122 [/td][td]45.52 [/td][td]129.44 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]26 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Shoaib Malik [/td][td]2006-2021 [/td][td]123 [/td][td]2423 [/td][td]75 [/td][td]31.46 [/td][td]125.67 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]9 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mohammad Hafeez [/td][td]2006-2021 [/td][td]119 [/td][td]2514 [/td][td]99* [/td][td]26.46 [/td][td]122.03 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]14 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar Azam's century today is his:<br><br>- 3rd in a row<br>- 4th in his last 5 innings<br>- 6th in his last 11 innings<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/1534610102845591553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar Azam's ODI record against West Indies:<br><br>Innings 8<br>Runs 639<br>Hundreds 5<br>Average 91.28<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvWI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvWI</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1534610878313730048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Ramiz when asked if there were any backup captains in waiting for Babar Azam?

“Maine toh socha hi nahi kay Babar Azam ke illawa bhi koyee zindagi hai"

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ramiz Raja "I've not even thought about life with no Babar Azam" <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/1542184454952738823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 55.313%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/3x388p" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[ElRaja]

rambo is a clever guy, managed to dodge a political question in a very discrete manner. he knows better than anyone how factionalism destroyed pak cricket in the 90s.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Babar's final numbers will depend a lot on how many matches he gets to play at home.

All greats of the game from Bradman to Kohli have spent significant portion of their careers at home - where they can boost their averages, and rightly so.

Babar hasn't had that luxury for majority of his career. Only now has he got some opportunity and he is showing what all greats show at home. Hope Pakistan's home fixtures remain - such a tenuous thing that. Can all be taken away with one incident.

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam's rise in Pakistan and world cricket has been quite steady over the last few years. He emerged as an exciting talent and after some exhilarating performances with the bat, soon got counted among the best in the world. He was then promoted as the Pakistan captain too. While many former cricketers have argued that on current form he is perhaps the best batter in the world, others have spoken about expanding the 'Top 4' of international batting elite group into a 'Top 5' to include Babar along with the likes of Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson.

His form in limited overs cricket has been phenomenal and the Pakistan skipper continues to rule the charts in ICC Rankings. In the latest rankings, Babar has maintained his top billing in T20I batting rankings and as a result smashed yet another record of former India captain Virat Kohli. Babar has now been at the top of T20I rankings for the maximum period, surpassing Kohli's record of 1013 days.

After surpassing Kohli, it is natural that the comparison between the two will only rise. So, at a press conference ahead of Pakistan's two-Test series against Sri Lanka, Babar was asked about surpassing Kohli's record. "I have two questions. My first question is... you recently broke Virat Kohli's record...". Babar stopped the reported and asked, "Kaun sa (which one)?"

The reporter then replied: "You have remained No. 1 in T20Is for the longest time." To that, Babar replied, "I would like to thank god. There is hard work involved and that is why I have been able to give good performances."

Babar recently broke another record of Kohli when he scored more than 1000 runs in ODIs since taking over as Pakistan's captain. He reached this feat in just 13 innings. Kohli has taken 17 innings as India captain to scored 1000 ODI runs.

NDTV

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Most runs across all 3 formats since January 2020:<br><br>Babar Azam 3508 (average of 53.15)<br>Joe Root 3352 (average of 55.86)<br>Liton Das 2755 (average of 37.73)<br>Mohammad Rizwan 2656 (average of 47.42)<br>Jonny Bairstow 2616 (average of 40.24)<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/1546894081946689538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Aamir Sohail on Babar Azam:

“Babar has proved himself with his performance,” said Sohail.

“Now he has to live up to those expectations that he has set from his batting and keep on improving.”

 

[Zain]

Yes he will. Purely on batting quality, he is already better than everyone else. The only thing he needs is to play more matches and thus accumulate more runs.

The bar is extremely low when it comes to Pakistani batting. Our so-called legendary batsmen are just decent compared to the standards established by other sides.

Babar doesn’t need to do much to become the GOAT Pakistani batsman.

That my friend is an all time low opinion to have, yes maybe we don’t have as many world class batsman as other countries agreed; but to disregard top batsman like the following is just wrong Abbas, Hanif, Inzi, Miandad, Mo Yousaf,Younas, Anwar, there are also others with decent records ijaz, Saleem Malik.

Some of these guys are mentioned in general cricketing conversations when it’s relevant, so I wouldn’t be so quick to push them under the bus, and I would not base all my opinions on stats alone as they do not convey the whole picture in many scenarios; you have to bare in mind the politics and time out of the team and years of playing time lost that these guys would face being part of Pakistan cricket and still to have achieved well is something not to be overlooked. Players from other countries do it face the issues and difficulties that Pakistani players do, which is the fault of the circus like system our cricket run by.

Point being I think it’s not as easily achievable to become the all time GOAT of Pakistani cricket batting than you have suggested in your post.

 

[Zain]

Babar will not get 30+ Test hundreds, numerous double hundreds and a triple ton like Younis Khan did.

Not sure what ‘extremely low bar’ you are referring to when it comes to Pakistan’s batting.

I was also baffled by this extremely low bar lol

 

[Zain]

Who said he will not? How many test double Younis had at 26? He didnt start scoring big until he was 28+ and that too almost always in the subcontinent with odd big innings away.

One things that should not be overlooked is how much of his cricket was actually played in Pakistan, no matter what you say UAE is not home and nor are the conditions exactly the same as Pakistan, similarities yes but not the same as the pitches of Pakistan and the grounds these batsman grew up playing on.

It would be interesting to see how the top5 batsman spoken of today would fair if they had to play a decade or so of there home cricket in a makeshift home. I wouldn’t discredit these guys so easily.

 

[Zain]

Babar has underachieved in Tests. He has the strokeplay but lacks concentration, especially after breaks in play.

He has the capability to score 10k Test runs but we'll need to play a lot more Test cricket, and he needs to ensure his conversion rate is as good as it is in LOIs.

Very well and simply put, a fair analysis of Barbar in tests, although not his fault in the lack of test cricket Pakistan play, with this kind of trend he would literally need to score in almost every test series to reach somewhere respectable in terms of his test stats no place for dull patches, or Pakistan play some 5 test series no point in a smaller than 3 test series pointless.

In LOI’s if I was to analyse Barbar critically, I would say he needs to bulk up a little or do some strength training to be able to hit them big shots more often, and maybe needs to get bigger hundreds in ODI’s.

 

[Zain]

It depends what you define as best batsman. In my eyes if you win matches for your country regardless of your average or number of centuries then you are a GOAT.

Azhar Ali is a prime example of someone who’s in the top 5 Batman’s in terms of runs and average but I can’t remember a game where he single-handedly wins a game for his team. Stokes with a 30 avg has done more for England with the bat then Azhar Ali ever has for Pakistan.

To conclude my waffle.... if Babar wins games for his team like he did yesterday, I don’t care how many centuries or runs he scores... he’ll be the goat for Pakistan.

Harsh and maybe not the best example, I wouldn’t rubbish Azhar like that, but overall I agree with your analogy and point being made, sometimes stats don’t show the whole picture or necessarily provide proof of achievements.

 

[Zain]

Azhar did score a crucial century in famous run chase vs Sri Lanka at Sharjah.

To be honest he did pretty well in Champions trophy 2017 as well despite not being his suited format.

He also has some gritty innings holding together the batting line up from one end when Pakistan look like collapsing, and ended up guiding to a decent total which has resulted in Pakistan wins, maybe a few years since he has done something like this but still should not be overlooked, also Pakistan series don’t always get the exposure as other series do hence maybe more easily forgotten.

 

[Zain]

196 on Day 4 and 5 against the #1 team in the world. Babar has finally made one count, and made it count big.

Needs a lot more of that in tests, a lot more and also needs to cross the 200 run mark.

 

[Zain]

Yes he probably will because he is a very fine batsman and also because the bar is extremely low.

Pakistan’s batting legacy is an embarrassment. We have only produce one ATG batsman so far (Miandad) and even he will not get into the C team of an all-time XI.

All other batsman like Inzamam, Younis, Yousuf, Zaheer, Majid, Hanif are Pakistani legends only, not global legends.

Pakistan is the least talented cricket nation ever with a middling legacy in all departments except pace bowling, so the likes of Babar and Rizwan don’t need to do much to be considered as the best ever Pakistani players in their respective roles.

The likes of Shaheen certainly face a much more daunting task because he has a long, long way to go before he can be considered comparable to the likes of Wasim and Imran.

One word mate, delusional.

 

[Zain]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Most ODI hundreds for Pakistan:<br><br>20 Saeed Anwar in 244 innings<br>16 Babar Azam in 84 innings<br>15 Mohammad Yousuf in 267 innings<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvAUS</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1510291005530157056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Babar Azam's last 11 ODI scores:<br><br>105*<br>114<br>57<br>158<br>19<br>0<br>94<br>31<br>103<br>125<br>77*<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/1510293230939779076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The question for me is how many more hundreds would Pakistani batsman have had we played a lot more home cricket, maybe add another 10 hundreds for each format for Moyo, maybe similar for younus. The likes of Malik would have more also, I remember he used to play very well in home conditions, even maybe hafeez would have had some more tons; one has to take all circumstances into consideration, that’s why stats alone don’t purely tell you the full story.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

One word mate, delusional.

That's an understatement mate.

 

[Zain]

Scores his runs against the “big boys”

 

[Zain]

Babar's final numbers will depend a lot on how many matches he gets to play at home.

All greats of the game from Bradman to Kohli have spent significant portion of their careers at home - where they can boost their averages, and rightly so.

Babar hasn't had that luxury for majority of his career. Only now has he got some opportunity and he is showing what all greats show at home. Hope Pakistan's home fixtures remain - such a tenuous thing that. Can all be taken away with one incident.

Yes the main factor is how much does he get to play at home.

 

[therealAB]

No Pakistan batsmen have fantastic all round records so he very well could be.

Miandad (Pakistan's greatest batsmen): overseas average of 45ish below the top tier of batsmen
Inzamam: Awful averages in Aus, SA + boosted his average in batting friendly 2000's
Abbas: Mediocre away from home
Yousuf: Poor in Aus + SA

So yes, Babar has a fantastic chance

 

[Hitman]

No Pakistan batsmen have fantastic all round records so he very well could be.

Miandad (Pakistan's greatest batsmen): overseas average of 45ish below the top tier of batsmen
Inzamam: Awful averages in Aus, SA + boosted his average in batting friendly 2000's
Abbas: Mediocre away from home
Yousuf: Poor in Aus + SA

So yes, Babar has a fantastic chance

+ Sri Lanka.

 

[daytrader]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#56401; <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babarazam258</a> on &#55357;&#56605;<br><br>Phenomenal consistency across formats &#55357;&#56490;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvPAK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BackTheBoysInGreen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BackTheBoysInGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/oWVrS0rjh4">pic.twitter.com/oWVrS0rjh4</a></p>— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1548547018913730561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>