Tag: Babar Azam

Revisit Babar Azam’s fifty on his international debut anniversary

Posted on by A Sports

On this day eight years ago Pakistan’s all-format captain and star batter Babar Azam made his international debut against Zimbabwe during an ODI match in Lahore.

Babar Azam struck four boundaries amid a busy anchoring knock for Pakistan and went on to score 54 runs in 60 balls.

 

After making his ODI debut, Babar Azam soon emerged as the top batter for Pakistan and has been ruling the white-ball formats since then, especially ODIs.

Babar Azam’s astoundingly consistent run in the ODIs lifted him to dethrone his then Indian counterpart Virat Kohli as the top-ranked ODI batter in April 2021 and was also named the ODI player of the year for two consecutive years.

Earlier this month, Babar Azam smashed two more ODI records – fastest to 5000 runs and to 18 centuries – amid Pakistan’s dominating 102-run victory over New Zealand which propelled them to the top of the ODI rankings for the first time.

The star batter added another feather to his cap as he completed his century of ODI matches in Pakistan’s fifth home ODI against New Zealand in the fifth here at National Bank Cricket Arena.

Babar Azam, who made his debut for Pakistan in ODIs against Zimbabwe, made hard yards on his way to becoming one of the most prominent figures for Pakistan in the sport.

He served as a ball boy when South Africa toured Pakistan in 2007 for a five-match ODI series and also as a net bowler and bowled against legendary players like Inzamam-ul-Haq.

It is pertinent to mention that Babar Azam has featured in 47 Tests, 100 ODIs and 104 T20Is over the course of his career while accumulating over 12,000 runs.

Notably, he is the only batter in the top five spots in ICC Batting Rankings across all formats.

READ: Javeria, Omaima fifties lead Challengers to first win in Pakistan Cup

Students Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan take the internet by storm

Posted on by A Sports

Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan took the internet by storm as a picture of them studying has been making rounds on social media and received immense appreciation from their fans.

Taking to Twitter, Babar Azam shared a picture of him and Mohammad Rizwan deeply engulfed in studying as the duo prepare for their classes at the Harvard Business School.

In the picture, Babar can be seen lying on the couch in a rather bizarre posture, fully focused on a piece of paper, presumably the handouts, while Mohammad Rizwan was sitting on the floor with papers scattered in front of him.

Notably, Babar Azam and teammate Mohammad Rizwan will become the first cricketers to join the prestigious Harvard Business School’s executive education program.

The star Pakistani duo will join the long list of top-tier sportspersons, who have pursued the course previously. The list includes footballers such as Kaka, Edwin van der Sar, Gerard Pique, Oliver Kahn; NBA stars like Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul and Paul Gasol.

According to the details, Babar and Rizwan are enrolled in the executive education program on The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS) which will run from May 31 to June 3 at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts.

The two cricketers will also engage with the various communities in the US after the program till June 13.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said his inspiration for joining the world-class program at Harvard was to connect, explore, listen, learn, grow, and give back to the community worldwide.

“I am sure there are scores of things to learn from the amazing athletes and top business executives from the entertainment, media, and sports industries who are coming from corners of the world,” said the No.1-ranked ODI batter.

Similarly, wicket-keeper batter Rizwan also expressed his delight on getting such a great learning opportunity.

“It is a huge honor to represent Pakistan on such a prestigious global stage. We are going to the BEMS program at Harvard to learn from the best of the best in the world – both in terms of faculty and program fellows – and at the same time to share our journey and learnings with everyone.” he said.

I am certain that this will be an exciting journey, and I look forward to sharing our learning and experiences with the next superstars of the cricket world,” Rizwan added.

No rift with Babar Azam, confirms Mohammad Amir

Posted on by A Sports

KARACHI: Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir opened up regarding his alleged rift with Pakistan captain Babar Azam and refuted the perceived tensions between them in a humorous way.

Mohammad Amir, in an interview to a local TV channel, was questioned by the host regarding whether there is any tie between him and Pakistan star batter Babar Azam.

In response, Amir revealed that Babar, who is his junior, always treated him with upmost respect and there was no issues between the two cricketers.

“Babar was my junior when I was playing for Pakistan, and he has always respected me,” shared Amir.

Mohammad Amir further weighed his statement by adding a humorous touch which left the host and the audience in split.

“Babar is not my ex-fiance that I won’t like him,” he concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that cricket fans assumed a rift between Mohammad Amir and Babar Azam after the former’s statement regarding was misinterpreted ahead of their anticipated faceoff in the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

When asked about his opinion on his face-off against Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar, the fast bowler said: “My job is to take wickets and win matches for my team, so for me, facing Babar or a tailender batting at number 10 will be the same”.

Mohammad Amir subsequently explained his earlier remarks about Babar Azam, claiming that he never referred to the Pakistani skipper as an underwhelming player or a tailender.

“First, I would like to ask those who have misrepresented this matter. Show me one interview in which I said that Babar is an average player or a tailender,” stated Amir.

“In all my interviews, I have called him the best batsman of Pakistan, which I am saying with my own mouth, and have said in many places, that it is difficult to bowl against him in ODI and Test matches due to his technique. So, would I call him a tailender?” he questioned.

“My point was that whether it’s Babar Azam or a number 11 playing, taking wickets is important for me because it benefits the team” he concluded.

READ: Aizaz Cheema reviews Pakistan Shaheens performance in Zimbabwe

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan to study at Harvard Business School

Posted on by A Sports

Pakistan captain Babar Azam and teammate Mohammad Rizwan will become the first cricketers to join the prestigious Harvard Business School’s executive education program.

The star Pakistani duo will join the long list of top-tier sportspersons, who have pursued the course previously. The list includes footballers such as Kaka, Edwin van der Sar, Gerard Pique, Oliver Kahn; NBA stars like Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul and Paul Gasol.

According to the details, Babar and Rizwan are enrolled in the executive education program on The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS) which will run from May 31 to June 3 at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts.

The two cricketers will also engage with the various communities in the US after the program till June 13.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said his inspiration for joining the world-class program at Harvard was to connect, explore, listen, learn, grow, and give back to the community worldwide.

“I am sure there are scores of things to learn from the amazing athletes and top business executives from the entertainment, media, and sports industries who are coming from corners of the world,” said the No.1-ranked ODI batter.

Similarly, wicket-keeper batter Rizwan also expressed his delight on getting such a great learning opportunity.

“It is a huge honor to represent Pakistan on such a prestigious global stage. We are going to the BEMS program at Harvard to learn from the best of the best in the world – both in terms of faculty and program fellows – and at the same time to share our journey and learnings with everyone.” he said.

I am certain that this will be an exciting journey, and I look forward to sharing our learning and experiences with the next superstars of the cricket world,” Rizwan added.

Talha Rehmani, the founder and CEO of sports talent management company Saya Corporation, will also be part of the programme along with the two esteemed cricketers.

The programme will be chaired by Professor Anita Elberse, one of the youngest women ever to earn tenure at Harvard Business School.

“I am delighted to be able to welcome Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan to the Harvard Business School and to the BEMS program,” said Elberse. “We think the other participants will benefit greatly from their experiences as world-class athletes with a strong interest in the business world.”

READ: Bowlers-led Dynamites thump Challengers in Women’s Pakistan Cup

WATCH: Babar Azam rides his heavy bike on Lahore streets

Posted on by A Sports

LAHORE: Pakistan’s all-format captain and star batter Babar Azam took the internet by storm as a video of him riding a heavy bike went viral on social media.

Taking to Twitter, Babar Azam shared the footage of himself riding the bike on the streets with the caption “Ready, set, GO!”.

The video of Babar Azam riding a heavy bike went viral in no time and received a lot of appreciation from cricket fans.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Babar Azam was signed by Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Colombo Stars for the upcoming fourth edition of the Sri Lankan league.

The last season’s runners-up Colombo Strikers roped in Babar Azam in the Icon Overseas category.

The franchise also acquired the services of young Pakistan speedster Naseem Shah, who will join his national team’s captain Babar. Naseem Shah was signed as the Platinum Overseas.

The fourth LPL season will run from July 31 until August 22. The five-team tournament will be staged at three venues, most likely Hambantota, Colombo, and Kandy.

Before LPL, Pakistan is slated to travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series,  which is part of the World Test Championship for next cycle.

Pakistan all-format skipper Babar Azam has taken world cricket by storm and claimed several records across formats since his debut in 2015.

Recently, the 28-year-old scripted history during the fourth ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, becoming the fastest batter to complete 5,000 runs in One-Day cricket.

He shattered the world record, previously held by Hashim Amla, taking only 97 innings to reach the landmark, four less than Amla’s 101 innings.

Babar then added another feather to his cap as he completed the century of ODI matches as Pakistan took on New Zealand in the fifth ODI here at National Bank Cricket Arena.

READ: No Ackermann, van der Merwe as Netherlands name squad for World Cup qualifier

Babar Azam joins Colombo Strikers for Lanka Premier League

Posted on by A Sports

Pakistan’s all-format captain and star batter Babar Azam has been signed by Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Colombo Strikers for the upcoming fourth edition of the Sri Lankan league.

The batting maestro Babar Azam was among the direct signings for the LPL ahead of the auction, scheduled to take place on June 11.

The last season’s runners-up Colombo Strikers roped in Babar Azam in the Icon Overseas category.

The franchise also acquired the services of young Pakistan speedster Naseem Shah, who will join his national team’s captain Babar. Naseem Shah was signed as the Platinum Overseas.

The fourth LPL season will run from July 31 until August 22. The five-team tournament will be staged at three venues, most likely Hambantota, Colombo, and Kandy.

Before LPL, Pakistan is slated to travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series,  which is part of the World Test Championship for next cycle.

Pakistan all-format skipper Babar Azam has taken world cricket by storm and claimed several records across formats since his debut in 2015.

Recently, the 28-year-old scripted history during the fourth ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, becoming the fastest batter to complete 5,000 runs in One-Day cricket.

He shattered the world record, previously held by Hashim Amla, taking only 97 innings to reach the landmark, four less than Amla’s 101 innings.

Babar then added another feather to his cap as he completed the century of ODI matches as Pakistan took on New Zealand in the fifth PAK vs NZ ODI here at National Bank Cricket Arena.

READ: Former Man Utd youngster Otis Khan to represent Pakistan Football team 

Aleem Dar reveals the best modern-day Pakistan captain

Posted on by shoaib.jatt

KARACHI: Renowned Pakistan-based umpire Aleem Dar picked wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed as the best modern-day Pakistan captain.

Dar, while speaking on ARY News’ show Bouncer, was asked to pick the best Pakistan captain during his prolonged umpiring career.

He, in response, acknowledged all of Pakistan’s modern-day captains which included Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Babar Azam but revealed that the wicketkeeper batter had the edge over the rest due to his decision-making abilities.

“I believe every one of them had different qualities but if someone had superior game awareness and better captaincy skills then it was Sarfaraz,” shared Dar.

“I think a wicketkeeper is a better decision-maker because he is well aware of what the bowler is bowling and that is why I think it is very important that a wicketkeeper should be the captain,” he added.

Aleem Dar further shared his opinion regarding Babar Azam’s captaincy and claimed that he is also performing well but highlighted the importance of having a good team performance.

“Babar is also performing well but if there is no teamwork and you are performing well [individually] or doing captaincy [is not that important] and hence I believe having a good team [performance] is the most important thing,” stated Dar.

It is worth mentioning here that Sarfaraz Ahmed is considered one of the most successful Pakistan captains as the side won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 under his leadership.

He also led Pakistan to 11 successive T20I series victories amid his tenure.

READ: Elena Rybakina to clash with Kalinina in Italian Open final

Babar Azam’s cover drive or Virat Kohli’s? Shahid Afridi shares his opinion

Posted on by A Sports

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain and legenary all-rounder Shahid Afridi termed star batter Babar Azam as the best cover drive operator in the world.

Shahid Afridi, while speaking to a local TV channel here was asked to share his opinion regarding the long-standing debate as to who plays the best cover drive between Babar Azam, India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steven Smith.

The star all-rounder thus picked the best cover drive operator; ranking Babar Azam the first.

“Babar Azam, Virat [Kohli] and then [Steve] Smith,” Shahid Afridi responded while answering the question.

“Babar plays a beautiful cover drive,” he added.

The two cricket superstars of the contemporary era, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli, enjoy a healthy rivalry not just in terms of batting records and performances, but also in the sophistication of their strokes.

They have led to intense debate among fans and experts, as to who is the better batter and more aesthetically pleasing while playing his shots.

A similar kind of question was posed to South African veteran David Miller, who is playing for Gujrat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League, and he replied very confidently.

In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, he was asked to choose between Babar and Kohli’s cover drive. “Probably, I would go with Babar,” he answered.

Earlier, former England captain Nasser Hussain had also made a similar claim and rated Babar’s cover drive ahead of Virat’s.

“I’m going to be biased. Sorry Indian fans but I’m gonna go with Babar Azam. I nearly went Kohli because I think Kohli is slightly different. Kohli has a bit more of a flick of the wrist of it. Babar Azam has just a lovely little [touch],” he had said.

“If I was teaching any young girl to watch, I’d ask her to watch Meg Lanning. I’m teaching any young boy to watch a cover drive. I would say watch Babar.” he added.

Pakistan all-format skipper Babar Azam has taken world cricket by storm and claimed several records across formats since his debut in 2015.

Recently, the 28-year-old scripted history during the fourth ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, becoming the fastest batter to complete 5,000 runs in One-Day cricket.

He shattered the world record, previously held by Hashim Amla, taking only 97 innings to reach the landmark, four less than Amla’s 101 innings.

READ: Mark Coles reaches Pakistan for second stint as women’s team’s head coach 

Babar Azam stopped by Excise department in Lahore

Posted on by A Sports

LAHORE: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam on Friday, was stopped by Punjab’s Excise and Taxation Department here for a routine check of the car’s licensing and taxation proof.

According to the details, the star batter was allegedly stopped at Liberty Chowk in his white Audi. The Excise officials asked Babar Azam the proof of the car’s licensing and taxation which he swiftly produced.

Earlier, as soon as the picture of Babar, being stopped by the Excise department, went viral on social media, rumours began to circulate that the Pakistan captain was warned to change his vehicle’s number plate.

Babar Azam then spared some time to pose for photos with the Excise officials after the completion of the inspection.

It is pertinent to mention that Babar is currently the only batter in the Top 5 of the ICC Batting Rankings across formats.

READ: Abdul Razzaq picks Faheem Ashraf over Wasim Jr for World Cup

‘No better option than him’, Amir backs Babar for World Cup captaincy

Posted on by A Sports

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has come out in support of Babar Azam, saying the star batter should be officially named as Pakistan’s captain for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup, scheduled later this year.

Left-arm pacer Amir emphasized that Pakistan had no better option than the right-hander to lead the team at the mega event.

Babar, who has been Pakistan’s regular captain in every format since 2019, is awaiting any official announcement from the Pakistan Cricket Board pertaining to his retention as the national team’s skipper for the showpiece event in India.

Amir, however, has regretted this unnecessary delay in confirming Pakistan’s captain for the World Cup since he believes that no player fits the job other than Babar at this point.

“It’s high time that the board should announce (team captain) with only three to four months left in the World Cup,” he said in an interview on his official Youtube channel.

“There is no reason to change the captain at this point. It doesn’t make any sense. So, it’s better to officially name Babar Azam (as Pakistan captain) just like PCB announced the head coach.”

“The amount of experience that he has as a captain, there is no better option than him.” he maintained.

He went on to say that the official announcement would give Babar clarity of mind after which he could sit with the management and help them with the team selection.

It must be noted that the 28-year-old has so far led Pakistan in 115 international matches across formats since 2019 when he was given the rein for the first time.

He has a formidable record as an ODI captain as he secured 17 wins out of 26 matches, maintaining a 66 per cent win ratio.

READ: Sajid Sadpara marks history by conquering Everest without oxygen