Babar Azam
Cricketer · Batsman · Captain
b. 1994 · Born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan · 4 min read
- Last verified: 12 November 2026
- Sources: 11
- Independently reviewed before publication
Pakistani batsman (born 1994) and Test captain as of November 2026; the fastest to 5,000 ODI runs, ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year for 2022, and former captain in all three formats.
Early Life
Mohammad Babar Azam was born on 15 October 1994 in Lahore, Pakistan. He grew up in Lahore's cricket culture and came through the city's age-group and domestic system, earning a reputation as a technically correct, timing-based batsman rather than a power hitter. He represented Pakistan at the Under-19 World Cup in 2010 and captained the side at the 2012 edition in Australia, before steady first-class runs earned him a senior call-up in 2015.
Career
Babar Azam came through Pakistan's age-group cricket and captained the Pakistan Under-19 side at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup. He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore on 31 May 2015, scoring 54, in the series that marked the return of international cricket to Pakistan. His T20I debut came against England on 7 September 2016 and his Test debut against the West Indies in Dubai on 13 October 2016. In 2016 he scored three consecutive ODI centuries against the West Indies in the United Arab Emirates, and in June 2017 he was part of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Champions Trophy. He was appointed T20I captain in October 2019, ODI captain in May 2020 and Test captain in November 2020, leading Pakistan in all three formats. Under his captaincy Pakistan reached the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, losing to England, and rose to No. 1 in the ICC ODI team rankings. He resigned the captaincy in all formats in November 2023 after the ODI World Cup, was reappointed white-ball captain in March 2024, and stepped down again on 1 October 2024 to focus on his batting. On 5 July 2026 the Pakistan Cricket Board reappointed him Test captain, replacing Shan Masood, for the tours of the West Indies and England. He drew the two-Test series in the West Indies 1-1, then lost 3-0 in England, missing the first Test through injury and scoring 97 runs in four innings; after the series he said he would continue as Test captain. In the Pakistan Super League he played for Karachi Kings before moving to Peshawar Zalmi, whom he has captained since 2023. As of November 2026 he remained Pakistan's highest-ranked ODI batter, ninth in the ICC rankings with 661 points. His ODI form in 2026 was lean: in the tri-series against England and Sri Lanka in October–November 2026 he scored 118 runs in five innings without a half-century, though Pakistan won the series; his last ODI half-century was 69 against Australia in May 2026, leaving him seven ODI innings without a fifty.
Achievements
Babar Azam's achievements are built on speed and consistency. He is the fastest batsman in history to 5,000 ODI runs, reaching the mark in 97 innings, and jointly the fastest to 6,000 ODI runs, in 123 innings with Hashim Amla. He was named the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, and in 2022 he also won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year, after scoring 2,598 runs across formats in the calendar year. He first reached No. 1 in the ICC ODI batting rankings in April 2021, and he scored his 20th ODI century against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi on 14 November 2025 — an unbeaten 102 that equalled Saeed Anwar's Pakistan record and ended a wait of more than two years for an international century — reaching 20 centuries in 136 innings, the third-fastest after Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli. He averages above 50 in ODIs. As captain he took Pakistan to the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup and to No. 1 in the ICC ODI team rankings, a first for a Pakistan captain.
Legacy
Babar Azam is, as of November 2026, Pakistan's leading batsman of his generation and the standard against which the country's young batsmen are measured. His ODI record — the fastest to 5,000 runs, two ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year awards and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in 2022 — places him among the best one-day batsmen of his era, and his captaincy took Pakistan to a World Cup final and to the top of the ODI team rankings. His career is still in progress, so any final assessment is premature; his form in 2026, including the 3-0 Test series defeat in England and a lean ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka, is part of an unfinished story rather than a settled verdict.
Major Achievements
- Fastest batsman to 5,000 ODI runs, in 97 innings — a world record
- Joint-fastest to 6,000 ODI runs (123 innings, with Hashim Amla)
- Third-fastest to 20 ODI centuries, in 136 innings, after Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli
- ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2021 and 2022
- Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year (2022)
- Reached No. 1 in the ICC ODI batting rankings in April 2021, the fourth Pakistani to do so
- 20 ODI centuries, equalling Saeed Anwar's Pakistan record, with an ODI batting average above 50
- Member of the Pakistan team that won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy
- Captained Pakistan to the final of the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
- Only captain to take Pakistan to No. 1 in the ICC ODI team rankings
- Captained Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League from 2023
Contributions
Babar Azam's contribution to Pakistan cricket is that of a modern batting anchor: a top-order batsman whose consistency in one-day cricket — an average above 50 and the fastest accumulation of runs in the format's history — gave Pakistan a reliable platform in the years after the retirements of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan. As captain across all three formats he led a young side to a T20 World Cup final and to the No. 1 ODI team ranking, and his example has made technically correct, timing-based batting the model for a generation of Pakistani batsmen.
Milestones
- 1994 — Born on 15 October in Lahore, Pakistan Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo
- 2012 — Captained Pakistan at the Under-19 World Cup in Australia Source: Wikipedia (cross-checked)
- 2015 — Made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore on 31 May 2015, scoring 54 Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo
- 2016 — Made his T20I debut against England and his Test debut against the West Indies; scored three consecutive ODI centuries against the West Indies Source: Wikipedia
- 2017 — Member of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Champions Trophy on 18 June 2017 Source: Wikipedia (cross-checked)
- 2019 — Appointed Pakistan's T20I captain Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo
- 2020 — Appointed ODI captain in May and Test captain in November, becoming captain in all three formats Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo
- 2021 — Became No. 1 in the ICC ODI batting rankings on 14 April 2021, the fourth Pakistani to top the rankings Source: Cricbuzz
- 2022 — Scored 196 against Australia at Karachi to save the Test; captained Pakistan to the T20 World Cup final; named ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year for a second successive year Source: Wikipedia; Firstpost (ICC Awards)
- 2023 — Won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year (2022) and resigned the all-format captaincy in November 2023 Source: Firstpost (ICC Awards); Wikipedia
- 2024 — Reappointed white-ball captain in March 2024 and resigned again on 1 October 2024 Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo
- 2025 — Scored his 20th ODI century — an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi on 14 November 2025, equalling Saeed Anwar's Pakistan record and ending a wait of more than two years for an international century Source: News18; The Hindu; Cricbuzz
- 2026 — Reappointed Test captain on 5 July 2026, replacing Shan Masood; drew the two-Test series in the West Indies 1-1, then lost 3-0 in England, missing the first Test through injury; confirmed he would continue as Test captain Source: Cricbuzz; Reuters (via Ada Derana); Geo TV
- 2026 — Pakistan won the ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka; Babar scored 118 runs in five innings without a half-century; ranked ninth in the ICC ODI batting rankings with 661 points as of November 2026 Source: Geo Super; ProPakistani; ARY News
Timeline
- 15 October 1994
Born Mohammad Babar Azam in Lahore, Pakistan
Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo - 2012
Captained Pakistan at the Under-19 World Cup in Australia
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia (cross-checked) - 31 May 2015
Made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore, scoring 54
Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo - 2016
Scored three consecutive ODI centuries against the West Indies in the United Arab Emirates
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia (cross-checked) - 7 September 2016
Made his T20I debut against England
Source: Wikipedia - 13 October 2016
Made his Test debut against the West Indies in Dubai
Source: Wikipedia - 18 June 2017
Member of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Champions Trophy, beating India in the final at The Oval
Source: Wikipedia (cross-checked) - 2019
Appointed Pakistan's T20I captain
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo - 2020
Appointed ODI captain in May and Test captain in November, becoming captain in all three formats
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo - 14 April 2021
Became No. 1 in the ICC ODI batting rankings, dethroning Virat Kohli — the fourth Pakistani to top the rankings
Source: Cricbuzz - 16 March 2022
Scored 196 against Australia at Karachi, batting for more than ten hours to save the Test
Source: Wikipedia (cross-checked with FanCode) - 13 November 2022
Captained Pakistan to the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, losing to England
Source: Wikipedia (cross-checked) - 26 January 2023
Named ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year for 2022 (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) and ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year for a second successive year
Source: Firstpost (ICC Awards); The News - 15 November 2023
Resigned from the captaincy in all formats after the 2023 ODI World Cup
Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo - 31 March 2024
Reappointed as Pakistan's white-ball captain
Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo - 1 October 2024
Resigned from the white-ball captaincy for a second time, citing workload and a wish to focus on his batting
Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfo - 14 November 2025
Scored an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi, his 20th ODI century — equalling Saeed Anwar's Pakistan record and his first international century in more than two years
Source: News18; The Hindu; Cricbuzz - 5 July 2026
Reappointed Test captain, replacing Shan Masood, for the tours of the West Indies and England
Source: Cricbuzz; Reuters (via Ada Derana) - 13 September 2026
Pakistan lost the three-Test series in England 3-0; Babar, who missed the first Test through injury, scored 97 runs in four innings and said afterwards he would continue as Test captain
Source: Geo TV; Gulf News; CricTracker - 31 October 2026
Pakistan won the ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka, beating Sri Lanka in the final at Lahore; Babar scored 118 runs in five innings without a half-century
Approximate date Source: Geo Super; ProPakistani - 11 November 2026
Ranked ninth in the ICC ODI batting rankings with 661 points, still Pakistan's highest-ranked ODI batter (as of November 2026)
Source: ARY News; Geo Super (ICC rankings, 11 November 2026)
Related Personalities
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Babar Azam?
Mohammad Babar Azam (born 15 October 1994 in Lahore) is a Pakistani international cricketer and a former captain of the Pakistan team in all three formats. A right-handed top-order batter, he is the fastest batsman to 5,000 ODI runs and won the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year award for 2022.
Source: Wikipedia; ICC Awards reportingWhat records does Babar Azam hold?
He is the fastest batsman to reach 5,000 ODI runs, doing so in 97 innings, and jointly the fastest to 6,000 ODI runs (123 innings, with Hashim Amla). His 20th ODI century, an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi on 14 November 2025, equalled Saeed Anwar's Pakistan record, and he reached 20 centuries in 136 innings, the third-fastest after Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli. He was the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2021 and 2022 and won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year in 2022.
Source: ESPNcricinfo; ICC Awards reporting; News18; CricbuzzIs Babar Azam still Pakistan's captain?
He captained Pakistan in all three formats from 2019–2020, resigned in November 2023 after the ODI World Cup, was reappointed white-ball captain in March 2024, stepped down again on 1 October 2024, and was reappointed Test captain on 5 July 2026, replacing Shan Masood. He drew the West Indies series 1-1 and lost 3-0 in England in his first two series back, and said he would continue as Test captain. As of November 2026 he is Pakistan's Test captain.
Source: Cricbuzz; Reuters (via Ada Derana); Geo TVWhat is Babar Azam's current ICC ODI ranking?
As of the ICC rankings update of 11 November 2026, Babar Azam is ninth in the ODI batting rankings with 661 rating points, still Pakistan's highest-ranked ODI batter. He first reached No. 1 in April 2021. Rankings change after every series, so this figure is dated November 2026.
Source: ARY News; Geo Super (ICC rankings, 11 November 2026)When did Babar Azam make his international debut?
He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore on 31 May 2015, scoring 54. His Test debut came against the West Indies in Dubai on 13 October 2016 and his T20I debut against England on 7 September 2016.
Source: Wikipedia; ESPNcricinfoSources & References
- Babar Azam — Wikipedia — Wikipedia (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Babar Azam is Pakistan captain again; Shan Masood out — Cricbuzz — Cricbuzz (accessed 12 November 2026)
- ICC Awards: Double delight for Babar Azam — Firstpost — Firstpost (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Shaheen Afridi breaks into top five as Fakhar, Rauf rise in ICC ODI rankings — Geo Super — Geo Super (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Pakistan replace Shan Masood with Babar Azam as test captain — Ada Derana — Ada Derana / Reuters (accessed 12 November 2026)
- File:Babar Azam.png — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI: Babar breaks hundred drought as Pakistan clinch ODI series vs SL — News18 (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Babar 'confident' to continue as Pakistan's Test captain despite England whitewash — Geo TV (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Babar Azam calls for major review after England whitewash Pakistan 3-0 in Test series — Gulf News (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Mohammad Yousuf urges Babar Azam to seek specialised coaching in England or Australia — Geo Super (accessed 12 November 2026)
- Abrar breaks into top three of ICC ODI rankings — ARY News (accessed 12 November 2026)
