Babar Azam: Profile of Pakistan’s Elegant Top-Order Batter

Babar Azam is one of the leading batters of his generation. Born in Lahore, he has been Pakistan’s most prominent run-scorer across formats since the middle of the last decade, praised for his classical technique and timing.

Early life and rise

Babar came through Pakistan’s age-group system and played in the Under-19 World Cup before making his one-day international debut in 2015. His Twenty20 international debut followed in 2016, and he made his Test debut later that year against England. He quickly established himself as a dependable top-order batter.

Playing style

Babar’s game is built on classical shot-making, particularly the cover drive, played with a straight bat and fluid timing. He tends to build an innings carefully and then accelerate, and he has the ability to score at a good rate without taking undue risks. He is often compared with leading batters of the modern era for his consistency.

Career highlights

In one-day internationals, he reached major run milestones in fewer innings than any previous batter, including 1,000 runs in 21 innings and 5,000 runs in 97. He was named the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for both 2021 and 2022. At the 2021 T20 World Cup, he scored 68 not out as Pakistan beat India by ten wickets, their first World Cup win over India.

In franchise cricket he has played for Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League and had a spell with Somerset in English cricket. He has also captained Pakistan at various times.

Legacy

As his career is still developing, his final legacy is yet to be written, but his records in the shorter formats and his steady influence on the Pakistan batting line-up already place him among the country’s most accomplished modern batters.

Frequently asked questions

When did Babar Azam make his international debut?

He debuted in one-day internationals in 2015, followed by T20 internationals and Tests in 2016.

Did Babar Azam win an ICC award?

He was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2021 and 2022.

What did Babar Azam do at the 2021 T20 World Cup against India?

He scored 68 not out as Pakistan won by ten wickets.