Tag: Babar Azam

DUBAI: Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has rated Pakistan’s top-ranked batter, Babar Azam, as the current second-best in Test cricket.

Watson, while featuring in the latest episode of the ICC Review, commented on the ‘Big Five’ batters that include Babar Azam, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root.

In the episode, Watson was asked to rank the ‘Big Five’ batters by the host Isa Guha in accordance with their recent performances in the longest format of the game.

Former top-ranked batter Virat managed to get the first ranked by Watson, followed by the Pakistan captain Babar, who was ranked as second-best by the former Australian all-rounder.

How would you rank the unofficial ‘Big 5’? @ShaneRWatson33 gives it a go and the results might surprise you 🤔

Take a look ⬇️

— ICC (@ICC) April 14, 2022

Watson commented on Babar’s performance in the red-ball cricket, saying it’s great how he adapted and move his game to Test cricket.

“Babar Azam is playing incredibly well. [It’s great] to be able to see how he has adapted his game to really move his game to Test cricket as well,” he was quoted saying. 

“Babar Azam would probably be No.2 at the moment,” Watson concluded.

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s all-format captain and the top batter Babar Azam has completed one year as the top-ranked ODI batter, today on April 14th 2022.

Following his sensational performance in Pakistan’s famous series win against South Africa in April 2021, scoring 228 runs including a century in the first ODI. The right-handed batter surpassed his then Indian counterpart, Virat Kohli by eight rating points; securing his career-best 865 points.

With his surge to the top spot, Babar ended Virat’s 41-month reign as the top ODI batter, who replaced South Africa’s AB de Villiers in October 2017.

Babar has played six ODIs since claiming the top spot in the ODI batting rankings and has scored 453 runs at an astonishing average of 90.3 with the help of three centuries and a half-century.

In an away three-match ODI series against England in 2021, he scored 177 including his highest individual score of 158 in the third ODI.

The 27-year-old enjoyed another successful ODI series as he piled up runs in the recently concluded home series against Australia. He scored 276 runs at an average of 138 including two centuries and a fifty.

It is pertinent to mention here that Babar became just the fourth Pakistan batsman to attain the top ranking after Zaheer Abbas (1983-84), Javed Miandad (1988-89), and Mohammad Yousuf (2003).

READ: ‘He is Don Bradman or Brian Lara of this era’ Rashid Latif on Babar Azam

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain and the 1992 World Cup winner Moin Khan has advised the current Pakistani skipper Babar Azam to do justice with the team selection and avoid favouritism.

Speaking on a local Tv show, Moin advised the current all-format captain of Pakistan – Babar, saying he should do justice with the team selection.

“You have to have a vision in the captaincy, I would advise Babar to do justice in his team selection and not to favour his friends,” he said.

“He should never compromise on the selection and should communicate his decision to the selectors,” he added.

The former captain further heaped praises on the top-ranked Pakistan batter, saying he can become the best batter in the world.

“If Babar maintains his good form, he will become the best player in the world. He has the potential of breaking all records in Pakistan,” he said.

The former wicket-keeper further commented on Mohammad Amir’s future in cricket and said he should keep fighting until he wants to play cricket.

“As long as he wants to play cricket, he needs to fight and keep playing,” he said.

He further commented about the success of the wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and said he is in superb form.

“Mohammad Rizwan is going through a purple patch and is in some wonderful form. Apart from him, Sarfaraz Ahmed is the best wicket-keeper batter,” he concluded.

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DUBAI: Pakistani skipper Babar Azam has won the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player of the Month Award for the month of March, here on Monday.

Babar, who scored two back to back centuries and a fifty in the recently concluded home ODI series against Australia has been voted as the best player of the month of March. He scored 276 runs at an average of 138 including two centuries and a fifty.

The right-handed batter also played an exceptional match-saving knock against Australia in Karachi Test; scoring 194 runs in the fourth innings. He scored 390 runs at an average of 78 including two half-centuries and a century in the historic Test series against the Aussies.

The Pakistani skipper bagged the award leaving behind his Australian and West Indian counterparts – Pat Cummins and Kraigg Brathwaite.

The 27-years-old captain has also become the first player to win the Player of the month award on two occasions.

Australia’s Rachael Haynes won the title in the women’s category, beating England’s Sophie Ecclestone and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt.

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LAHORE: Pakistan Test cricketer Umar Akmal opened up about Babar Azam’s statement a few months when one of later’s cousins refused to lend him shoes in his struggling days.

Umar, while giving an interview to a local news channel, has clarified that he does not know which one of Babar’s cousins refused to lend him a pair of joggers.

“I have no idea which of our cousins refused to give shoes to Babar,” he said.

“We’ve always offered support to relatives who wanted to play cricket. I’ve never turned down a request. People who are close to me are well aware of this,” Umar said.

Babar, on the other hand, recalled his struggling days and shared the heartwrenching incident during an interview a few weeks back.

“I asked my cousin if he could lend me a pair of joggers, but he refused, claiming that he didn’t have any,” Babar revealed.

“I realised I had said something I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have asked for the shoes in the first place,” he concluded.

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam has surpassed Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI batting ratings.

Babar, who achieved his career-highest ODI batting ratings of 891 at the conclusion of the home series against Australia, has surpassed India’s Tendulkar to claim the 15th position in the list.

Led by the West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards, the list also comprises two Pakistani batters Zaheer Abbas, who is second in the list and Javed Miandad, who is ranked seventh with 910 rating points.

Babar Azam has moved up to 15th position in the ICC All-Time ODI Batting Rankings #Cricket pic.twitter.com/2T6HZTZhT4

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) April 6, 2022

 

India’s top batter Virat Kohli is in the sixth place with a rating points of 911.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan captain Babar enjoyed a successful series against Australia as the right-handed batter scored 276 runs at an average of 136 including two centuries and a fifty.

For his brilliant performance, he was awarded as the Player of the Series.

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KARACHI: Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam for his brilliant match-winning century against Australia in the second ODI of the ongoing three-match series.

Kaif, who represented India in 138 matches and also led the side to win the 2000 ICC Under-19 World Cup has come out to laud the Pakistani skipper.

Taking to Twitter, Kaif shared the picture of the Pakistan captain celebrating his magnificent century and wrote that ‘Babar has skills, technique, and guts.’

“Babar has skills, technique, and jigar. The perfect mix when you are chasing a big total,” he wrote.

Babar has skills, technique and jigar. The perfect mix when you are chasing a big total. ⁦⁦@babarazam258⁩ pic.twitter.com/jL0bgaEyM1

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) April 1, 2022

 

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan sealed a famous victory over Australia as the home side pulled off a record run chase in ODIs – 349, at the back of a brilliant century from Babar and the left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq.

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LONDON: Pakistan’s all-format captain and the top-ranked white-ball batter Babar Azam has been registered at the highest base price of 125,000 pounds by The Hundred tournament in the overseas entrants’ category.

A total of 44 Pakistani players have signed up for the forthcoming draft of the Hundred, scheduled on April 4. For this year’s Hundred, which will roll into action on August 3, there are 17 slots available for international players in various franchises.

Pakistan’s top batter Babar, alongside Chris Gayle, Mitchell Marsh Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Tabraiz Shamsi, and David Warner registered at the highest base price of £125,000.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, leg-spinner Shadab Khan, and the right-arm pacer Haris Rauf have found themselves in the second category of overseas entrants with a base price of £75,000.

Whereas experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik and the young pacer Naseem Shah have their reserved price set at £50,000, while Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, and Shan Masood got themselves in £40,000 category.

Moreover, former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahnawaz Dahani, Kamran Akmal, Azam Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, and Mohammad Nawaz are included in the players’ list without any reserved price.

READ: Babar, Imam’s tons propel Pakistan to beat Australia after record run chase

LAHORE: Pakistan’s skipper and top-ranked ODI batter Babar Azam has become the second-fastest batter to amass 4,000 runs in ODI cricket during the first ODI against Australia, here at Gaddafi Stadium.

Babar, who amassed the milestone in 82 innings fell one short of Hashim Amla’s 81. With his impressive achievement, the 27-years-old has left many cricketing greats behind including Sir Vivian Richards, who achieved this feat in 88 innings.

.@babarazam258 joins the club, becoming the second fastest to cross the milestone! #BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/qsFKhdF3T2

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 29, 2022

India’s top-batter Virat Kohli, on the other hand, is fifth on the list as the southpaw conceded 93 innings to reach 4,000 runs.

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LAHORE: Pakistan captain Babar Azam claimed that his men did not play with the defensive approach against Australia in the third and deciding Test of the Benaud-Qadir Trophy, here on Friday.

Babar, while talking to a virtual press conference, backed his team following a home series defeat against Australia in a recently concluded Benaud-Qadir Trophy, claiming that the green shirts played according to the situation.

“We didn’t play with a defensive mindset; instead, we played in accordance with the situation, with a positive attitude, and a desire to reach the goal. Back-to-back dismissals, however, altered the game’s dynamics “he stated

“It’s not correct to imply that the two teams’ mindsets were different,” he added.

The 27-years-old captain further backed Hasan Ali and othe players, saying that he has confidence in all the players.

“Hasan Ali is a match winner and I still trust him as much as I did before. It is unnecessary to call for the changes after one bad series. These players have performed for the team in the past,” he said.

Babar then went on to review his team’s overall performance in the recently concluded home series and claimed that the team played good cricket.

“We played good cricket overall in this series. But, the performance in Karachi Test was exceptional,” he concluded.

It is apropos to mention here that Australia defeared Pakistan by 115 runs in the third and final Test of the Benaud-Qadir Trophy today. The first two matches of the series could not conclude a result.

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