Babar Azam

 Summary Table

    Category                               Highlight

1. Format Totals                      31 centuries: Test 9, ODI 19, T20I 3

2. ODI Pace                              Fastest to 1–5k runs (Pakistani)

3. World Cups                              Highest T20 WC runs (303 in 2021)

4. Captaincy                              Historic series wins vs major teams

5. Awards                              ICC awards, national honors

6. Style & Persona                      Elegance, composure, leadership

Early Life & Family Background

• Born: 15 October 1994 in the Walled City of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan .
• Family: Son of Azam Siddique, who worked at a watch repair stall, and his mother (name not widely publicized). He has siblings—brothers Safeer and Faisal, and a sister Faariya . His cousins are former international cricketers Kamran, Umar, and Adnan Akmal, who profoundly influenced his cricketing aspirations.

He started as a ball boy at Gaddafi Stadium during his early teens, catching glimpses of top players and fueling his passion for cricket. Later, he attended the Ali Education System school in Lahore, completing education up to the eighth grade. His father made sacrifices, even taking extra jobs to support Babar’s equipment and training.

 Struggle & Development

• Walked nearly two hours daily to his cricket academy; lacked funds, once borrowed shoes—fueling his motivation.

• Initially shy and rejected during early U‑19 trials, but persevered through disciplined practice under coach Mansoor Hameed.

• Famously, his mother used her entire savings (PKR 1,500) to buy his first cricket bat.

 Education

• Schooled at Ali Education System, Lahore, balancing academics and cricket.

• In May 2023, enrolled in the Harvard Business School executive program "Business of Entertainment, Media & Sports" alongside teammate Mohammad Rizwan.

Cricket Development & Path to National Team

• Youth Cricket: Represented Pakistan in the 2008 U‑15 World Championship, emerging as the top scorer. Played in U‑19 World Cups (2010 & 2012), captaining the team in 2012.

• Domestic Debut: Made List‑A debut at just 15 in 2010–11 with ZTBL; scored a half‑century in his first-class debut at age 16 in December 2010.

• Early Style: Honed batting fundamentals early—he practiced tape-ball cricket in Lahore streets and academies, sharpening technique and mental resilience.

International Career & Leadership

• ODI Debut: 31 May 2015 against Zimbabwe; marked debut with a strong performance.

• T20I Debut: 7 September 2016.

• Test Debut: 13 October 2016 versus West Indies.

• Captaincy:

• Became Pakistan’s ODI & T20I captain in 2020.

• Appointed Test captain later, becoming one of Pakistan’s youngest captains.

• Resigned in 2023 post-World Cup but returned as white-ball captain in March 2024.

 Domestic & International Rise

• Excelled in youth cricket: starred at the 2008 U‑15 World Championship and played U‑19 in 2010 & 2012 (captained in 2012) .

• First-class debut at age 16 (Dec 2010), scoring a half-century in just his second game .

• ODI debut: 31 May 2015 vs Zimbabwe; scored 54

• T20I debut: 7 Sept 2016; Test debut: 13 Oct 2016 vs West Indies.

Major Achievements & Records

• Global Rankings:

  • Fastest to 2,000 ODI runs (45 innings).

  • Fastest to 13 ODI centuries (76 innings), surpassing Amla.

  • Reached 2,500 T20I runs faster than Virat Kohli (62 innings vs 68) .

• Historic Centuries:

  • Maiden T20I century: 122 off 59 balls vs South Africa—the highest T20I score by a Pakistani .

  • Three consecutive ODI hundreds (2016 vs WI & repeated in 2022 vs Australia/West Indies).

  • Highest ODI score in Australia: 125*; only Asian with centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa.

• Total Centuries: 31 across formats — 9 Tests, 19 ODIs, 3 T20Is.

• Test Feats: Highest Test score 196 vs Australia (Mar 2022); record for highest fourth-innings captain’s score .

 Captaincy & Records

• Appointed Pakistan’s ODI & T20I captain in 2020; became Test captain too (later stepped down post-2023 World Cup, then returned as white-ball skipper in March 2024) .

• Set records:

  • Fastest to 2,000 ODI runs (45 innings), 13 centuries (76 innings), 6,000 ODI runs (123 innings).

  • Fastest Asian to 4,000 ODI runs (82 innings) & to 5,000 ODI runs (97 innings) .

  • Reached 6,000 ODI runs on 14 Feb 2025 vs New Zealand in Karachi, joint-fastest overall and fastest Asian.

  • Fastest to 3,000 T20I runs (81 innings), beat Chris Gayle to 11,000 T20 runs .

• Asia Cup: scored 151 vs Nepal (Aug 2023), fastest to 19 ODI centuries (102 innings).

• 2022 calendar year: amassed 2,477 runs in all formats—most for a Pakistani batter in a single year.

Awards & Honors

• ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022.

• ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year: 2021, 2022.

• PCB ODI Cricketer of the Year: 2017; T20I Cricketer of the Year: 2018.

• PCB PSL Player of the Tournament: 2020.

• ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sobers Trophy): 2022.

• Sitara‑i‑Imtiaz (civilian honor): 2023.

Playing Style 

• Technique & Composure: Praised for elegant timing, strong shot selection, and calm temperament .

• Mental Resilience: Overcame financial and selection challenges—walked long distances, failed early trials—developed composure under pressure.

• Personal Traits: Humble, disciplined fitness routine, inspired by cricket greats like AB de Villiers.

• Philanthropy: Established the Babar Azam Foundation (2017), contributing during COVID‑19 and supporting youth engagement.