Tag: Babar Azam

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi are on the verge of achieving major milestones in the series-opener of the T20I series against South Africa, scheduled later today.

Babar is currently holding the second position on the highest run-scorers list in T20I cricket, having accumulated 4,192 runs across 126 matches.

He needs only 39 runs to overtake India’s Rohit Sharma, who reigns at the top with 4,231 runs achieved in 159 matches.

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Following closely behind Babar is Virat Kohli, who has announced his retirement from T20I cricket alongside Rohit after India’s victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli occupies the third spot in the rankings, having amassed 4,188 runs across 125 matches.

On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi is just three wickets shy of becoming the third Pakistani bowler to reach the coveted 100-wicket mark in T20Is. Overall, he would be the 19th bowler globally and the eighth fast bowler to reach this feat.

It’s worth noting that after the first T20I match in Durban today, the action will shift to Centurion for the second T20I, which is scheduled for December 13. The series will culminate with the final T20I in Johannesburg on December 14.

Watch Pakistan vs South Africa Live on ARY ZAP

After wrapping up the T20I series, Pakistan and South Africa will play a three-match ODI series. The opening ODI will take place on December 17 in Paarl, while the second and third ODIs will be played in Cape Town and Johannesburg on December 19 and 22 respectively.

Pakistan and South Africa will then engage in a two-match Test series, which will kick off in Centurion on December 26, meanwhile, the second Test will start from January 3 in Cape Town.

Squads of Pakistan and South Africa for T20I series

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)

South Africa: Heinrich Klaasen (c), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane, and Rassie van der Dussen.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed clears the air on retirement statement

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has recently addressed the challenges faced by star batter Babar Azam and discussed his role in the team ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Babar Azam has been facing significant criticism lately due to his inconsistent performances in all three formats of the game.

However, during the recent ODI series victory against Australia, he provided a glimpse of his former brilliance and skill. He scored only 80 runs in three innings, but he got out only once and struck the winning boundary in both of Pakistan’s victories.

Despite his performance in ODIs, Babar’s struggles in the T20 format have drawn renewed scrutiny. In three T20I matches, he could muster only a mere 47 runs, raising concerns about his form and consistency.

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Shoaib Akhtar, while talking to a local news channel, warned that the star batter needs to regain his form and score heavy runs during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to retain his place in the Pakistan cricket team.

“He’s our star, I’ll back him up. But the thing is, with the new management, with a new mindset, he has to create a change in his ‘neurological wiring,’ otherwise, the new management might not consider him in T20Is and even ODIs,” Akhtar said.

The former pacer emphasized that a few good innings are not enough; Babar must score match-winning centuries.

“The Champions Trophy is the time and place where Babar needs to be at the forefront for Pakistan. He needs to dominate and score three centuries in the Champions Trophy that too in a match-winning cause,” he added.

“If he does that then definitely he can come back. But if not, then the path is going to be very difficult,” Akhtar concluded.

READ: Pakistan thump Bangladesh to clinch Blind T20 World Cup title

DUBAI: Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan experienced a drop in their positions in the latest ICC T20I Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

The Green Shirts suffered a humiliating whitewash in the three-match series, mainly courtesy of the team’s below-par batting performance.

Babar managed a meagre 47 runs in the series at an average of 15.66 and a strike-rate of 142.42, meanwhile, Rizwan scored 16 runs in two games at a dismal strike-rate of 57.14. Consequently, both batters dropped one place each in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings.

Mohammad Rizwan is currently in 6th place with 719 rating points, while Babar Azam has dropped from 4th to 5th place with 742 rating points.

It’s worth noting that other than Babar and Rizwan, no Pakistani batter is among the top 50 batters in the T20I rankings, with Fakhar Zaman (64) being the third-highest-ranked batter from the country.

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Meanwhile, Indian batter Tilak Varma made a massive leap in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings, jumping a whopping 69 spots to clinch third place after his stellar performance in the four-match series against South Africa.

Varma smashed two undefeated centuries in the series, amassing a total of 280 runs over the course of four innings with a remarkable average of 140.00 and an explosive strike rate of 198.58.

It’s worth noting that Australia’s Travis Head, who missed the series against Pakistan, is leading the batting rankings, followed by England’s Phil Salt.

Varma’s team-mate Sanju Samson, who was the second-highest run-scorer in the series against South Africa, also made a notable gain, rising 17 places to reach 22nd.

Samson also struck two centuries during the series and accumulated 216 runs at an average of 111 and a strike rate of 194.59.

READ: Former Pakistan captain suggests Sahibzada Farhan is not ‘international material’

Pakistan opening batter Imam-ul Haq threw his weight behind under-fire batter Babar Azam who failed to impress during the recently concluded tour of Australia.

The Green Shirts suffered a humiliating whitewash in the three-match T20I series against Australia and Babar managed a meagre 47 runs in the series at an average of 15.66 and strike-rate of 142.42.

During the second T20I match, the star batter found himself at the centre of a chaotic scene as fans voiced their discontent while he fielded near the boundary.

A video capturing the incident quickly went viral, showing a group of animated spectators hurling a series of taunts in his direction.

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“Have some shame! You don’t even deserve a spot in the T20 team. Go back to Lahore,” the crowd chanted.

The incident did not sit well with many former cricketers, including Imam-ul-Haq. He took to his social media and extended his support to Babar Azam.

Imam shared a video of the incident on social media with a caption that read, “As a nation, we have failed. Instead of supporting, we mock. Babar, you are still a champion.”

Imam-ul-Haq, a player who has frequently endured the harsh reactions of the crowd, urged the nation to show respect for all athletes. He emphasized that instead of ridiculing them, it is essential to recognize their hard work and dedication to the sport.

READ: India pull out of Blind T20 Cricket World Cup in Pakistan

Pakistan batter Babar Azam achieved a major milestone on Monday as he became the second-highest run-score in T20I cricket leaving behind Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli.

He reached the milestone during the third T20I of the three-match series against Australia in Hobart.

Babar played a 41-run knock from 28 balls, which featured four boundaries to set up Pakistan’s total of 117, which Australia successfully chased in 11.2 overs.

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The star batter has accumulated a total of 4,192 runs in the format, placing him tantalizingly just 39 runs short of the former Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

Sharma currently holds the top position on the all-time list with an outstanding tally of 4,231 runs.

Most runs in men’s T20Is

• Rohit Sharma (India) — 4231
• Babar Azam (Pakistan) — 4192
• Virat Kohli (India) — 4188
• Paul Stirling (Ireland) — 3655
• Martin Guptill (New Zealand) — 3531 runs

Moreover, Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team, is the only other batter from the country among the Top 10 run-scorers in the format. Currently, Rizwan ranks seventh with an impressive total of 3,329 runs to his name.

Pakistan’s next T20I series will be against Zimbabwe, however, Babar and Rizwan are not part of the squad. The Green Shirts will play three T20I matches from 1-5 December under the captaincy of Salman Ali Agha.

Pakistan T20I Squad for Zimbabwe Tour: Salman Ali Agha (c), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan

READ: Aaqib Javed appointed as interim white-ball head coach of Pakistan

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam, in a heartwarming gesture, donated his game-worn Test jersey to the Usman Khawaja Foundation at The Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Babar’s iconic jersey is set to be auctioned off, with all proceedings dedicated to the Usman Khawaja Foundation.

For the unversed, the foundation is committed to empowering youth from diverse backgrounds, including those who are refugees, immigrants, Indigenous, and individuals from rural, remote, and low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

The Australian opening batter thanked Babar for his generous gesture and commended the Pakistani star for his eagerness to support his foundation.

“Babar has been great! He texted me not long ago when he heard the announcement with Cricket Australia [CA]. ‘Usman, can I do anything to help? I’d love to donate one of my T20I final jerseys?’ [narrating Babar’s text message],” Usman Khawaja stated.

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“But instead, he’s got a Test shirt that he wanted to donate. Babar Azam, obviously one of the great Pakistani cricketers. I really appreciate your support and help,” he added.

Khawaja further revealed his ambitious plans to establish a lasting connection between his foundation and The Gabba Test, envisioning it as an annual event.

His inspiration comes from The McGrath Foundation, which has been an integral part of the Sydney Test, dedicating itself to raising awareness and educating young Australian women about breast cancer.

“We’ve got the pink Test in Sydney. We’re trying to make the Usman Khawaja Foundation a part of the Gabba Test,” Khawaja said.

“I didn’t speak English [when arriving in Australia from Pakistan as a child]. Cricket broke down the barriers for me. I never felt isolated when I played sport,” he concluded.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan clears air on opening pair for T20I series against Australia

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has named star batter Babar Azam among his list of top three Pakistani batters of all time.

Pakistan, under newly-appointed captain Mohammad Rizwan, defeated Australia in the third ODI by eight wickets in Perth to win their first series Down Under since 2002.

The visitors lost the first match of the three-match series by two wickets, however, they staged an impressive comeback to win the series 2-1.

Vaughan, who was part of the broadcast team during the series, discussed Pakistan’s best batters ever in his conversation with former Australian batter Adam Gilchrist.

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The former English captain revealed that he would place Babar Azam at number three among the best Pakistani batters of all time.

He acknowledged Babar’s recent struggles in Test cricket, however, expressed hope that the star batter would get back in form soon.

“I am going to go with a modern-day player, a modern-day asset. Just lost his place in the Test team, but I’m sure he’ll get it back. He is world-class across all formats,” Michael Vaughan said.

“His average is 47 across those formats, and in ODIs, he’s nearly averaging 57.”

 

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Vaughan went on to name former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq as the second-best batter from Pakistan, highlighting his ability to hit big shots.

“The Big Inzy… you get him across all formats. He didn’t rely on running between wickets. He didn’t need to because he could just whack it out of the ground,” he said.

Meanwhile, legendary batter Javed Miandad was placed at the number one position among the best Pakistani batters of all time.

“I had this player in my top three Pakistan players of all time two nights ago – Javed Miandad. What a player,” Vaughan said.

“Just a wonderful competitor! Back in the 80s, skill and ferocity. He was probably the first I ever saw who swept the ball brilliantly across all formats.”

READ: Pakistan secure historic ODI series victory in Australia after 22-year drought

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has advised Pakistan batter Babar Azam to consider taking an extended break from competitive cricket, similar to the approach taken by Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, in order to regain his form.

Former Pakistan captain Babar is going through a rough patch, particularly in Test cricket. He had a forgettable home Test series against Bangladesh in August-September, where he managed a meagre 64 runs in four innings.

The star batter was also dropped from the last two Tests of the recently-concluded three-match series against England, pertaining to his series of dismal performances in the longest format.

Babar has scored 3,997 runs in 55 Tests at a decent average of 43.92 but failed to make a half-century in the format since 2022 and has averaged a meagre 20.7 since 2023.

He managed to retain his position in Pakistan’s ODI side in the first match against Australia but continued his dismal form as he fell prey to Adam Zampa after scoring only 37 runs.

Ricky Ponting, during an interview with the ICC Review, expressed concerns over Babar’s recent struggles, especially in Test cricket.

“The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side,” Ponting said in the ICC Review. “They’ve got to find a way to get Babar back into form and back into their [Test] team.”

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The former Australian captain cited the example of Virat Kohli, who made the bold decision to take an extended break in 2022 to recover his batting form.

Following the break, Kohli returned to the cricketing arena with renewed vigour and skill. His remarkable performance during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 showcased his exceptional batting prowess, and he further solidified his comeback by making a significant impact in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

“You know, when you look at (Babar’s) numbers, it’s been a bit like the stuff that we were talking about with Virat [Kohli] earlier on,” Ponting said.

“Sometimes – and I think Virat was on record saying this – that little bit of a break that he had, he took himself away from the game for a while to freshen up and sort out some things that he needed to sort out.”

Ricky Ponting suggested that Babar Azam should take a similar route and stay away from the game for some time to freshen himself up.

“This might be exactly what Babar needs. Maybe Babar needs to get away for a while and stop trying too hard,” the former captain stated.

“Lock the kit bag away for a while, think about something else and then hopefully come back recharged, because we know at his best he’s as good as anyone going around. Hopefully, we get to see that in the back half of his career again.”

READ: Pakistan squad carries out training session in Adelaide for second Australia ODI

Former Pakistan Test cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has defended star batter Babar Azam amid online criticism after the first ODI against Australia.

Pakistan lost the first of the three-match ODI series by two wickets at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) after a spirited performance with the ball.

Babar Azam, who was playing his first ODI match after stepping down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain, managed a meagre 37 runs from 44 balls with the help of four boundaries.

Pakistan’s batting line-up folded for a paltry 203-run total, which Australia successfully chased in 33.3 overs at the loss of eight wickets.

Ramiz Raja, during a recent video on his YouTube channel, heaped praise on Babar and expressed disappointment over the criticism against the star batter.

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“If you got a player like Babar Azam by mistake, you should respect him. Babar Azam played better than all Pakistani batters in the first ODI against Australia,” said Ramiz.

“I get disappointed when I see keyboard warriors trolling and abusing Babar.”

Notably, the second ODI of the series will be played on 8 November in Adelaide, while Perth will host the third ODI on 10 November. The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.

Brisbane will host the first T20I, with the next matches scheduled for November 16 and 18 in Sydney and Hobart, respectively.

Notably, wicket-keeper Josh Inglis is set to captain Australia for the first time as he will lead the side in the third ODI against Pakistan as well as the following T20I series.

Pakistan Squad for ODI Series against Australia

Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Shaheen Afridi makes significant leap in ICC All-Rounder Rankings

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam was honoured on Friday as his bat was displayed in the Long Room at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The management of the MCG reached out to the former Pakistan captain, inviting him to add to the prestigious Long Room collection.

This esteemed Long Room collection showcases an array of iconic bats donated by cricketing legends, including the likes of Don Bradman, David Boon, Jack Hobbs, and Brian Lara.

Babar Azam donated the bat that he used during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 final against England held at MCG.

The star batter expressed his pride in joining cricketing legends in the MCG Long Room.

“It’s an incredible honour to have my bat displayed in the MCG Long Room alongside some of the greatest batters in history,” said Babar. “This means a lot to me because I played a World Cup final using this bat.

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“I have many good memories of playing at the MCG. It is one of the best grounds of my career.”

Babar Azam is currently in Australia for a six-match white-ball series, which includes three ODI matches and as many T20Is.

He stepped down from the role of Pakistan’s white-ball captain last month and was replaced by wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the ODI series opener, while the subsequent matches are scheduled on November 8 and 10 in Adelaide and Perth, respectively.

The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.

The star batter is on the verge of a major ODI milestone as he needs 271 runs to complete 6000 runs.

Moreover, he boasts a strong chance to dethrone South African great Hashim Amla’s record of fastest to 6000 ODI runs.

READ: Hong Kong Sixes: Asif Ali’s blitz powers Pakistan to victory over India