Babar Azam: Pakistan's Most Complete Batsman
A complete guide to Babar Azam — Pakistan's former captain and their finest batsman of his generation, with 5,000+ Test runs and 5,000+ ODI runs at averages above 50, and a classical technique that draws comparison with Virat Kohli and Steve Smith.
Babar Azam is Pakistan's most complete batsman of his generation and the country's most consistent scorer across all three formats. He has scored over 5,000 Test runs at an average above 45 and over 5,000 ODI runs at an average above 57, with centuries in all three formats at high averages simultaneously. Regarded as one of the three or four finest batsmen in the world at his peak, he is the face of Pakistan cricket in the 2020s.
Technical Brilliance
Born on 15 October 1994 in Lahore, Babar Azam is a right-handed batsman of classical technique — an upright, elegant strokemaker who drives through the off side with exceptional timing and uses a high backlift to generate power. His cover drive is considered among the finest of his generation, alongside Steve Smith's reverse-pull and Virat Kohli's on-drives. He made his ODI debut in 2015 and his Test debut in 2016, establishing himself rapidly as Pakistan's most reliable batsman.
Captaincy and Challenges
Babar's captaincy career has been mixed — Pakistan's performances in major ICC tournaments have not matched the quality of their individual players, and he resigned the captaincy in October 2023 following Pakistan's early exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup. He was reappointed as T20I captain for the 2024 T20 World Cup, but Pakistan suffered a group-stage exit — their worst T20 WC result. Babar subsequently resigned from all remaining captaincy in 2024. The Pakistan cricket board's volatility in captaincy selections made consistency difficult for any captain.
Career Statistics
| Format | Mat | Runs | Avg | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 55+ | 5,200+ | 45.5 | 10 | 26 |
| ODIs | 110+ | 5,600+ | 57.0 | 19 | 28 |
| T20Is | 115+ | 4,200+ | 42.0 | 3 | 37 |
Frequently asked questions
What ranking achievement did Babar Azam achieve simultaneously?
At his peak in 2021-22, Babar Azam was simultaneously ranked No. 1 in all three ICC batting rankings — Tests, ODIs, and T20Is — the first batsman in history to hold the top spot in all three formats at the same time. The achievement confirmed his status as the most consistently excellent batsman in world cricket at that period.
How many Test centuries has Babar Azam scored?
Babar Azam has scored over 10 Test centuries in 55+ Tests, averaging above 45. In ODIs he averages above 57 with over 19 centuries. He is Pakistan's most prolific scorer across all formats in the modern era.
Has Babar Azam captained Pakistan?
Yes. Babar Azam captained Pakistan across all three formats, taking over the captaincy in 2019 in T20Is and eventually becoming captain in all formats. He resigned in October 2023 following Pakistan's poor 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, was reappointed as T20I captain for 2024, then resigned from all captaincy after Pakistan's group-stage exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup.