Tag: Babar Azam

Pakistan top-order batter Babar Azam has shared his reaction to New Zealand’s legendary batter Kane Williamson’s retirement from international cricket. 

Earlier today, Williamson called time on his international cricketing career ahead of the second Test at The Oval against New Zealand.

In a statement from New Zealand Cricket, the stalwart confirmed his retirement and revealed the reason for calling time on his glittering career.

Babar took to the social media platform X to acknowledge Williamson’s impact on global cricket.

Taking to the social media platform ‘X’, Babar reflected on the mutual respect between the two players and praised Williamson’s consistency, sportsmanship, and leadership that left a lasting impact on world cricket.

“Kane Williamson it was an honour to share the field with you. Every contest taught me something new. You leave the game better than you found it. Thank you for the standard you set champ! Happy retirement,” Babar wrote.

Williamson made his debut for New Zealand in 2010 against India at Ahmedabad. He finished as the BlackCaps highest run scorer, amassing 19,346, including 48 centuries and six double-centuries.

Widely regarded for his leadership style on the field, Kane finished his Test career at  9,515 runs at an average of 54.06, including 33 centuries.

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His leadership style was much admired, and he captained the side in all three formats during a golden period from 2016 to 2024.

During that time, New Zealand reached two World Cup finals and three semi-finals, and won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.

He was named as the ICC Cricketer of 2015 and Test player of the year in 2019, while also winning the domestic Sir Richard Hadlee Medal on a record four occasions.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named 49 players for training camps at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), including the ace duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

The PCB revealed the names in a press release, confirming that players who featured in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia will feature in the red-ball camp from 15 June, which will continue until 15 July.

Of the 49 players selected, 22 have been named in the red-ball and 27 in the white-ball camp. The camps comprise a mix of experienced international cricketers and emerging domestic performers.

“The players who were part of the recently concluded ODI series against Australia and have been selected for the Red-Ball Camp will join the camp from 15 June,” the board said in a statement.

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“The NCA White-Ball Camp will commence on Monday, 15 June and continue until Friday, 18 September. Twenty-seven players will take part in the camp,” it added.

According to the board, the camps are designed to provide players with adequate preparation time for forthcoming international and domestic events. During the training period, players will fine-tune their skills under the supervision of national and NCA coaches, including one-on-one sessions.

In addition, PCB medical staff will monitor the players’ fitness and overall conditioning.

This will be the second occasion in recent months that the PCB has called up players for a training camp, with a similar camp having been held before the Bangladesh and Australia series.

22 Red-Ball Camp Players:

Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Usman, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Obaid Shah, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzad Gul and Shan Masood

27 White-Ball Camp Players :

Abdul Samad, Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Farhan Yousaf, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Rohail Nazir, Saad Baig, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Sameer Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed to be replaced by legendary batter as head coach: sources

LAHORE: Star batter Babar Azam and Pakistan cricketers shared their reactions to AI-generated songs created using his voice in a light-hearted video.

The video was uploaded on Pakistan cricket social handles, with players sharing their thoughts in a light-hearted manner.

Babar said with a chuckle that he does sing, but the voice in the clip was not his own.

“I do sing, but that is not my voice. The picture looks nice though,” Babar said after listening to an AI-generated song of himself.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha joked that he had heard worse songs than that and did not think Babar could sing better than him.

“I’ve heard worse songs than this. I don’t think Babar can sing better than me,” Salman Ali Agha said.

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Fast bowler Naseem Shah said that most AI-generated songs in Pakistan were created using Babar Azam’s voice. He added that while traveling in a car, he often comes across reels which he plays on the speaker and listens to.

“In my opinion, most AI-generated songs in Pakistan are made using Babar Azam’s voice. I often travel in a car, and reels come up in front of me, which I play on the speaker and listen to. The [AI] voice is even better. We have already heard all his AI songs,” he said.

“Babar should try singing in his real voice at least once. Fans love Babar because his name keeps coming up no matter what, whether it’s singing or cricket,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Pakistan is currently involved in a three-match ODI series against Australia. The Men in Green dominated the series opener, winning the fixture by five wickets, thanks to Arafat Minhas’ fifer on debut and Babar Azam’s composed half-century.

The second ODI will be played tomorrow at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

READ: Mike Hesson breaks silence on criticism over spin-friendly pitches

SYLHET: Pakistan middle-order batter Babar Azam has urged the batters to take responsibility after another failure against Bangladesh in the second Test at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Pakistan were in deep trouble at 79-4 on day two. Salman Ali Agha and Babar Azam then resisted with a 63-run partnership that steadied the innings.

However, Babar’s soft dismissal off Nahid Rana’s bowling sparked a collapse that they could never recover from. The visitors then lost five wickets, adding only 65 runs.  As a result, they slumped from 142-5 to 207-9 and 232 all out.

Speaking to the media after the day’s play, Babar emphasized the lack of big partnerships as a vital factor behind the team’s shambolic batting display.

“The pitch is very good, and the ball is coming very nicely. We have not built a partnership.  When Agha [Salman Ali Agha] and I were playing in the middle, we were just trying to build a partnership, but unfortunately, we have not built a long partnership,” he lamented.

He praised Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana, calling him the fastest bowler currently in red-ball cricket.

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“He [Nahid Rana] is a nice bowler, and I think he is one of the fastest bowlers right now in Red Ball cricket. Every second team has a 140-150 bowler, so you try to handle those things. I try to do my level best to play my natural game,” Babar explained.

The 31-year-old described his own dismissal and Agha’s wicket as a turning point that shifted the game’s momentum. He urged Pakistan batters to be more responsible after repeated batting collapses.

“I think the turning point is my and Salman Ali Agha’s wicket, because after that we have not built the partnership, so I think these two dismissals change the momentum.”

“The main thing is that as a batting unit we have to take some responsibility and we have to play with some pain, because our issue is that whenever a wicket falls, it falls back to back, so you are not able to handle that. We have to figure out this thing and the same thing has happened again,” Babar concluded.

READ: Babar Azam extends lead in decade run charts with special milestone

SYLHET: Pakistan batter Babar Azam on Sunday crossed the 9000 international runs mark in this decade during the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Babar’s fluent 68 off 84 deliveries, decorated with 10 boundaries, made him the only batter to breach the 9,000 runs milestone in international cricket in the 2020s.

The 31-year-old crossed the barrier in his 212th international appearance of the 2020s, showcasing his batting prowess across the formats.

Overall, Babar has now scored 9060 runs at an average of 42.53, including 17 centuries and 67 fifties. England ace batter Joe Root is on number two spot with 9060 runs to his name, while Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan sits third on the list with 7779 runs in the same period.

Most International Runs in Current Decade (2020s):

Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 9060 runs
Joe Root (England) – 8305 runs
Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) – 7779 runs
Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka) – 7046 runs
Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) – 6873 runs
Virat Kohli (India) – 6771 runs
Litton Das (Bangladesh) – 6763 runs

It is worth mentioning that, since making his debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe, Babar has become one of the top performers for the national team across all three formats.

Overall, he has played 347 matches for Pakistan, amassing 15531 runs at an average of 45.27, including 32 centuries and 107 fifties. He is also on the verge of breaking the record for the most ODI centuries for Pakistan, currently tied with Saeed Anwar at 20.

READ: Babar Azam enters WTC record books during Bangladesh Test

SYLHET: Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam joined Steve Smith in the World Test Championship (WTC) record books with a half-century in the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sylhet International Stadium on Sunday.

Babar brought up his 20th WTC fifty and moved into a joint-third position on the all-time list of WTC half-centuries, alongside Steve Smith and England’s Zak Crawley.

England veteran Joe Root sits second with 22 half-centuries, while Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne leads the list with 24 fifties.

Most half-centuries in WTC history:

Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) – 24
Joe Root (England) – 22
Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 20*
Steve Smith (Australia) – 20
Zak Crawley (England) – 20

Pakistan were dismissed for 232 in 57.4 overs, with Babar Azam top-scoring for the visitors with 68.

Resuming after Tea at 206-8 and trailing by 71 runs, Pakistan lost Khurram Shehzad (10), adding just a single run to the team’s total. Sajid Khan then offered brief resistance with a fighting 38 off 28 balls, striking four sixes and two fours, including three consecutive sixes off Nahid Rana.

However, Rana had the final say, dismissing Sajid to wrap up the innings and give Bangladesh a first-inning lead.

For Bangladesh, Nahid Rana and Taijul Islam led the attack, sharing six wickets between them, while Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz picked up two each.

Sajid Khan and Khurram Shehzad remained at the crease, both scoring six and 10 runs respectively.

Babar Azam had earlier held the innings together with a fluent 68 off 84 balls, striking 10 fours. He shared a 63-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha after Pakistan were in early trouble.

But once Babar was removed, Pakistan lost their way in the middle. He was caught at mid on in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings. He looked in fine touch, scoring 68 off 84 balls, including 10 fours.

Rana broke the stand, brought back by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in a decisive move that got the prized wicket of Babar.

READ: Rana, Taijul rattle Pakistan to take big lead in second Test

SYLHET: Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana dismissed well-set Pakistan batter Babar Azam to lift Bangladesh during the second Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Babar was caught at mid on in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings. He looked in fine touch, scoring 68 off 84 balls,  including 10 fours. However, Rana was brought back by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in a decisive move that got the prized wicket of Babar.

Babar arrived at the crease early on the second day’s morning with his side in deep trouble at 26-2. Despite losing wickets around him, the 31-year-old remained firm and played fluently for his 68.

Pakistan lost their opening wicket in just the second over of the day as Taskin Ahmed removed promoted Abdullah Fazal. The left-hander only managed nine after impressive outings in the first Test.

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The home side tightened their grip on the match when Taskin struck again to remove Azan Awais for 13. After the early blows, Pakistan captain Shan Masood and Babar Azam rebuilt the innings with a brief 38-run partnership.

The scorecard read 61 when Shan (21) departed off Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s bowling. The visitors’ woes compounded when they lost Saud Shakeel as well, leaving them 79 for four before Salman Ali Agha and Babar stitched a 63-run partnership to steady the innings.

But once Babar was removed, Pakistan lost their way in the middle. Salman Ali Agha threw his wicket away, trying to slog sweep Taijul Islam and ended up being caught on the boundary. He made 21 with the help of two fours.

Soon after, Mohammad Rizwan was cleaned up by Taijul to leave Pakistan reeling at 174-7. He made 13 from 27 deliveries.

READ: Pakistan make steady start after Litton Das’ century in Sylhet Test

SYLHET: Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has confirmed that star batter Babar Azam is available for selection ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh, scheduled from May 16 to 20.

Babar had missed the series opener in Mirpur due to a knee injury, a match Pakistan lost by 104 runs.

However, speaking during the pre-match press conference in Sylhet, Sarfaraz confirmed that the right-handed batter has now fully recovered and is fit for selection.

“Babar Azam is available for the second Test. We will confirm the playing XI at the toss after assessing the conditions,” Sarfaraz said.

The Pakistan head coach also reflected on his side’s disappointing performance in the first Test but stressed that the team remains focused on a response in the second match of the series.

“After the first Test we are very disappointed as a unit, but remain confident of a comeback in the next game,” he added.

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Sarfaraz also addressed external criticism following Pakistan’s defeat, stating that the dressing room remains unaffected by outside noise.

“Criticism is nothing new for us when performances go wrong, and remarks from former players do not impact us,” he said.

“We are also not focused on social media talk; our attention is fully on the next match. I expect senior players to take responsibility, and we will have discussions after the game as planned.”

The former Pakistan captain also expressed confidence in Babar’s recent form, highlighting his performances in the Pakistan Super League.

“Babar Azam looked technically strong and mentally fresh during the PSL, which is positive for the team, and we are pleased to have him with us,” he said.

READ: Pakistan fined for slow over-rate in first Bangladesh Test

MIRPUR: Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam has returned to the nets after suffering a knee injury that ruled him out of the first Bangladesh Test.

On Sunday, the right-hander was seen practicing in the nets under the supervision of batting coach Asad Shafiq alongside the team physio and trainer. During the session, Babar also ran between the wickets.

Babar was ruled out of the opening Test against Bangladesh, which is underway at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

During Thursday’s national team training, Babar felt a sharp pain in his left knee. After informing the management, he underwent an MRI scan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the ace batter will not be part of the Playing XI due to a left-knee injury.

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“Pakistan batter Babar Azam will not be available for the first Test match against Bangladesh due to a injury in left knee,” the press release statement said.

However, it was later revealed that Babar’s injury was not serious, and he has been rested from the ongoing series opener as a precautionary measure.

The second Test will be played from 16 to 20 May at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

In the current World Test Championship (WTC) standings, Bangladesh are placed eighth, having registered one defeat and one draw from two matches, with a win percentage of 16.67.

Pakistan, meanwhile, sit fifth with one win and one loss, holding 12 points and a 50 percent win ratio.

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MIRPUR: Pakistan star batter Babar Azam has been ruled out of the opening Test against Bangladesh, set to begin tomorrow at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the ace batter will not be part of the Playing XI due to a left-knee injury.

“Pakistan batter Babar Azam will not be available for the first Test match against Bangladesh due to a injury in left knee,” the press release statement said.

The statement further said that his injury is currently being assessed, with further updates to be shared soon.

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“The team’s medical panel is currently assessing his condition. Further updates will be shared in due course,” it added.

The first of the two matches – part of the ICC World Test Championship will be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from 8 to 12 May, while Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the second Test, which will be played from 16 to 20 May.

In the current World Test Championship (WTC) standings, Bangladesh are placed eighth, having registered one defeat and one draw from two matches, with a win percentage of 16.67.

Pakistan, meanwhile, sit fifth with one win and one loss, holding 12 points and a 50 percent win ratio.

Squads

Pakistan: Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Bangladesh (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan, and Amite Hasan.

READ: Shan Masood downplays ‘revenge’ talk ahead of Bangladesh series