Articles about Babar Azam

One of the top-ranked ODI batsmen in the world, Babar Azam is considered one of the best in the business, alongside Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root. Captain of the Pakistani cricket team across all three formats of the game, this talented right-handed batsman's tryst with international cricket began when he debuted against Zimbabwe in an ODI in 2015. A cousin of Pakistani cricketers Kamran, Umar, and Adnan Akmal, Azam later made his Test debut for Pakistan against West Indies in 2016 when he made his mark as a player to look out for. Known for his elegance, Azam scored three consecutive hundreds against the Windies in the 2016 series and, in the process, had become the second-highest scorer ever in a three-match ODI series. Known for his exploits in the shorter formats of the game, Azam is also the quickest player to reach the mark of 13 ODI centuries. He is no stranger to success in the longest format of the game, either. Notably, in 2019, he was appointed the captain of the Pakistan team for T20Is and ODIs and later named the Test captain in 2021.