Babar Azam

Babar Azam bats right-handed with a textbook classical technique that purists find deeply satisfying to watch. His backlift is high and straight, his head stays very still, and he plays full-faced shots with a high elbow that generate timing rather than brute power. His signature shot — a cover drive played off the front foot — consistently finds the gap between cover and extra cover with uncanny precision.

He is equally effective in all conditions. In Australia and England, he has impressed technical observers by leaving deliveries outside off stump with discipline that many Asian batters lack on those pitches. In spin-friendly conditions in Asia, his footwork allows him to drive spinners through the covers or sweep with equal comfort. This all-conditions quality distinguishes Babar from other high-average batters who accumulate runs primarily in home conditions.

His T20 game has matured significantly from his early career — he now better understands when to attack in powerplays and when to play anchor — but his primary strength remains the ODI format where his tempo management across 50 overs is considered one of the finest in the current generation of batters.