Babar Azam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Babar Azam

Azam in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Mohammad Babar Azam
Born	(1994-10-15) 15 October 1994 (age 30) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan,
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Role	Batter
Relations	Kamran Akmal (cousin) Umar Akmal (cousin) Adnan Akmal (cousin)
International information
National side	Pakistan (2015–present)
Test debut (cap 222)	13 October 2016 v West Indies
Last Test	6 January 2025 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 203)	31 May 2015 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	5 April 2025 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.	56
T20I debut (cap 70)	7 September 2016 v England
Last T20I	13 December 2024 v South Africa
T20I shirt no.	56
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2010/11–2013/14	Zarai Taraqiati Bank
2012/13–2014/15	Islamabad Leopards
2014/15	State Bank of Pakistan
2015/16–2017/18	Sui Southern Gas Corporation
2016	Islamabad United (squad no. 31)
2017–2022	Karachi Kings (squad no. 56)
2017	Guyana Amazon Warriors (squad no. 56)
2017	Sylhet Sixers (squad no. 56)
2019–2020	Somerset (squad no. 56)
2019/20–2023	Central Punjab (squad no. 56)
2023–present	Peshawar Zalmi (squad no. 56)
2024	Rangpur Riders (squad no. 56)
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 59 131 128 96 Runs scored 4,235 6,235 4,223 6,287 Batting average 42.77 55.17 39.83 42.19 100s/50s 9/29 19/37 3/36 12/41 Top score 196 158 122 266 Balls bowled 90 – – 816 Wickets 2 – – 7 Bowling average 21.00 – – 66.57 5 wickets in innings 0 – – 0 10 wickets in match 0 – – 0 Best bowling 1/1 – – 1/1 Catches/stumpings 43/– 56/– 52/– 69/–
Medal record Men's cricket Representing  Pakistan ICC 20 World Cup Runner-up 2022 Australia Team ICC Champions Trophy Winner 2017 England & Wales Team Asia Cup Runner-up 2022 UAE Team
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 22 April 2025

Mohammad Babar Azam (born October 15, 1994) is a famous Pakistani international cricketer. He used to be the captain of the national team in all three types of cricket games. He is a right-handed top-order batter. Currently, he captains Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League.

Babar Azam scored 122 runs off 59 balls against South Africa. This was his first century in T20I matches. It is also the highest score by any Pakistani cricketer in a T20I. He is the only captain to lead Pakistan to the number one ranking in One Day International (ODI) cricket. He was part of the Pakistan team that won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

In November 2023, Babar stepped down as captain after the 2023 Cricket World Cup. However, in March 2024, he was again made captain for white-ball cricket (ODIs and T20Is). On October 1, 2024, he resigned from white-ball captaincy for a second time. He said he wanted to focus more on his batting.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Babar Azam was born in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 15, 1994. His older cousins, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal, were cricketers. Their stories inspired him to play cricket professionally. He started as a ball boy at Gaddafi Stadium. Later, he joined a cricket academy to begin his career.

His first coach, Rana Sadiq, taught him the basics of batting. Babar then joined the Pakistan Under-19 team.

International Cricket Journey

Starting His Career

Babar Azam joined the Pakistan ODI squad in May 2015. He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe on May 31, scoring 54 runs. This strong start helped him get a spot in the Test and ODI teams for a series against Sri Lanka.

He played two matches against Sri Lanka, scoring 37 runs. He was also part of the ODI series against Zimbabwe in September 2015. Later, he played against England, scoring 139 runs in four matches.

In January 2016, Pakistan visited New Zealand. Babar scored 62 runs in the first ODI. He was the top scorer for Pakistan in that series with 145 runs. He made his Twenty20 International debut against England on September 7, scoring 15 runs.

Rising Star and Record Breaker

Azam in 2018

In 2016, Babar Azam played against the West Indies. He scored his first international century (120 runs) in the first ODI. He then scored two more centuries in the next two matches (123 and 117 runs). This made him the only batsman to score three centuries in a three-match ODI series. He also set a record for the most runs (360) in such a series.

He made his Test debut on October 13, 2016, against the West Indies. He scored 69 runs in his first innings. He was the first player to score a fifty on his Test debut in a day/night Test match.

In January 2017, Babar became one of the fastest players to reach 1,000 runs in ODIs. He scored a century in the fifth ODI against Australia. This was only the second century by a Pakistani batsman in Australia since 1981. He also entered the top 10 ODI batsmen rankings.

Babar scored an unbeaten 125 runs in an ODI against the West Indies in 2017. He helped Pakistan win the Champions Trophy final against India, scoring 46 runs. He was the top scorer in the Independence Cup T20I series against the World XI team, scoring 179 runs.

In September 2017, he became the fastest batsman to score seven ODI centuries. He was also the first batsman in ODI history to score five centuries in a row in one country. He was Pakistan's leading run-scorer in ODIs and T20Is in 2016. He was named Pakistan's ODI Player of the Year in 2017. He was also included in the ICC World ODI XI for the first time.

In 2018, Babar became the number one T20I batsman. He performed very well against the West Indies, scoring 165 runs and winning the Man of the Series award. In November 2018, he scored his first century in Test cricket against New Zealand.

2019 Cricket World Cup

In April 2019, Babar was chosen for Pakistan's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The ICC called him one of the exciting new talents. Before the World Cup, he scored 277 runs in a series against England.

On June 26, 2019, against New Zealand, Babar became the fastest Pakistani batsman to reach 3,000 runs in ODIs (in 68 innings). He also scored his 10th ODI century in that match, helping Pakistan win. He became the first middle-order batsman from Pakistan to score a century in a World Cup match in 32 years. A week later, he broke Javed Miandad's record for most runs by a Pakistani batsman in a single World Cup, scoring 474 runs.

Leading the Team

In September 2019, Babar became the vice-captain of Pakistan's ODI and T20I teams. He scored his 11th ODI century, becoming the fastest Pakistani to reach 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. In October 2019, he was named captain of the Pakistan T20I team.

In December 2019, Test cricket returned to Pakistan after ten years. Babar scored an unbeaten century in his first Test innings on home soil. He also scored 60 and 100 not out in the second Test. In January 2020, he was again named in the ICC World ODI XI.

In January 2020, Babar captained Pakistan at home for the first time in a T20I series against Bangladesh. Pakistan won the series 2–0. He scored 143 runs in the first Test match against Bangladesh. In May 2020, he was also appointed as the ODI captain.

In August 2020, he became one of the fastest batsmen to score 1,500 runs in T20Is. On September 8, 2020, he dropped to number two in the T20I batting rankings after being number one for 22 months. He captained the ODI team for the first time at home against Zimbabwe. He scored 221 runs, including a century, and was named Man of the Series.

On November 10, 2020, Babar was made captain of Pakistan's Test team. However, he got a thumb injury and missed the Test and T20I series against New Zealand. In December 2022, Babar broke Mohammad Yousuf's 16-year-old record for most runs by a Pakistani batter in a calendar year. He also became the highest run-scorer in Test cricket for 2022.

Becoming the No. 1 ODI Batsman

In April 2021, Babar scored his 13th ODI century in his 76th innings against South Africa. This made him the quickest to reach this milestone. At the end of the series, he became the number one ODI batsman in the world. He passed Virat Kohli, who had been top for a very long time.

Recent Achievements

On April 14, 2021, Babar scored his first T20I century (122 runs) against South Africa. He and Mohammad Rizwan made a record partnership of 197 runs for Pakistan in T20Is. On April 25, 2021, he became the fastest batsman to score 2,000 runs in T20Is (in 52 innings).

In September 2021, Babar was named captain for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. During the tournament, he became the number one T20I batsman again. He broke the record for most fifties (4) and runs (303) in a T20 World Cup. He led Pakistan to the semi-finals.

In March 2022, Australia toured Pakistan after 24 years. In the second Test, Babar scored 196 runs. This broke the record for most runs by a captain in the fourth innings of a Test. A week later, he became the second fastest overall and fastest Asian to score 4,000 ODI runs. He also became the first Pakistani captain to score an ODI century against Australia. He helped Pakistan achieve their highest successful run chase in ODIs. Pakistan won the series 2–1, their first ODI series win against Australia since 2002.

National Stadium, Karachi, where Babar has scored centuries in all three formats of the game.

On April 14, 2023, Babar played his 100th T20I match. On April 15, 2023, he scored his third T20I century (101 runs), becoming the first captain to score three centuries in T20Is. He also became the joint player with the most wins as captain in T20Is (42).

On May 5, 2023, he became the fastest batter in ODI history to score 5,000 runs (in 97 innings). In the same match, he scored his 18th ODI century, becoming the fastest to do so. Under his captaincy, Pakistan became the number one ODI team after 33 years.

In May 2024, he was named captain for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. On October 13, 2024, Babar Azam became the fastest Asian batter to reach 11,000 runs in international cricket.

Domestic and Franchise Cricket

Playing for Local Teams

Babar started playing domestic cricket for teams like Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited cricket team and Islamabad Leopards. He later played for State Bank of Pakistan cricket team and Sui Southern Gas Company cricket team in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

In September 2019, Babar became captain of the new Central Punjab team. His team won the trophy. He also led his team in the 2019–20 National T20 Cup. He scored a century in the first match, becoming the first Pakistani to score three centuries and over 1,500 runs in T20 cricket in a year.

In October 2020, he became the fastest batsman to score 1,000 runs in the National T20 Cup (in 27 innings). In October 2021, he became the fastest batsman to score 7,000 runs in T20 cricket (in 187 innings).

Pakistan Super League (PSL)

Babar played for Islamabad United in the first PSL season. In 2017, he moved to Karachi Kings. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2017 season. He was retained by the Kings for the 2018 season and was the third-highest run-scorer.

In 2020, he became vice-captain of the Karachi Kings. He was the leading run-scorer in the 2020 PSL season with 473 runs. He led his team to win the PSL final. He was also named Player of the Tournament. In the 2021 season, he scored 554 runs, breaking his own record for most runs in a single PSL season.

In December 2021, he became captain of the Karachi Kings. Before the 2023 PSL, Babar was traded to Peshawar Zalmi and became their captain. In the 2024 Pakistan Super League, he scored 569 runs.

Other Leagues

Babar has also played in other cricket leagues around the world. In 2017, he played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League and Sylhet Sixers in the Bangladesh Premier League.

In 2019, Somerset signed Babar for the 2019 t20 Blast in England. He was the highest run-scorer in the competition with 578 runs. He rejoined Somerset for the 2020 t20 Blast. On September 16, 2020, he scored his career-best of 114 not out. He also completed 5,000 runs in T20s, becoming the fastest Asian to do so. For the 2025–26 Big Bash League season, Sydney Sixers signed Babar Azam.

Amazing Records and Awards

Centuries against different nations

Opponent	Test	ODI	T20I	Total
Australia	2	3	–	5
Bangladesh	1	–	–	1
England	1	2	1	4
Nepal	–	1	–	1
New Zealand	2	2	1	5
South Africa	–	1	1	2
Sri Lanka	3	3	–	6
West Indies	–	5	–	5
Zimbabwe	–	2	–	2
Total	9	19	3	31

Babar Azam holds many impressive records in cricket:

• He is the third-fastest Pakistani to reach 1,000 ODI runs.
• He is the fastest player to score 5,000 runs in ODI cricket.
• He is the only cricketer to score 5 centuries in a row in one country (United Arab Emirates).
• Babar is the fastest batsman to score 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 ODI centuries.
• He has the second most centuries in ODIs for Pakistan (19), just behind Saeed Anwar's 20.
• He is the only batsman in history to score 3 consecutive centuries twice. This led to him being called "King Babar".
• He is the fastest captain to reach 1,000 ODI runs.
• He scored the most runs (303) in the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
• He is the fastest batsman to reach 1,000 runs in T20Is.
• He scored the most runs for Pakistan in a single World Cup (474 runs in 2019).
• He has been Pakistan's top ODI scorer in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
• He has been Pakistan's top Test scorer in 2018, 2019, and 2022.
• He holds the highest Test score for a captain and for Pakistan in the fourth innings of a Test match.
• He is the first Pakistani captain to beat India in a World Cup match.
• Babar is the first Pakistani to win the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award, achieving it twice.
• He has the highest individual score for a Pakistani captain in ODIs (158 against England in 2021).
• He is the fastest batsman to reach 2,000 and 2,500 T20I runs.
• He is one of only three Pakistani batsmen to score a century in all three formats of cricket.
• He has the highest T20I score and most centuries in the format for Pakistan.
• In the PSL, he was the highest run-scorer in 2020 and 2021. He is also the league's all-time leading run-scorer.
• He is the first Pakistani captain and fifth overall to complete 1,000 runs across all formats.
• He is the first Pakistani and fourth captain to score a century in every format.
• In 2022, he broke Ricky Ponting's record for most scores of fifty or more in a calendar year (25 scores).
• At 28 years old, he became the youngest cricketer to receive the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan's third-highest civilian award.

Awards and Honors

2017

• Named in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year
• PCB's ODI Cricketer of the Year

2018

• PCB's T20I Cricketer of the Year

2019

• Named in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year

2020

• 2020 Pakistan Super League Player of the Tournament
• ARY News Person of the Year

2021

• Named ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year
• Named captain of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year
• Named captain of the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year
• Named captain of the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Team of the Tournament
• Winner of ICC Player of the Month for April
• PCB's ODI Cricketer of the Year

2022

• Named ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy)
• Named ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year
• Named captain of the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year
• Named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year
• Winner of ICC Player of the Month for March

2023

• Awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan's third-highest civilian award.
• Winner of ICC Player of the Month for August