Mohammad Babar Azam

Mohammad Babar Azam is a Pakistani international cricketer who serves as a right-handed top-order batter. He previously held the position of captain for the Pakistan national team across all three formats of the game. Currently, he captains Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League.

Early life and education

Babar Azam was born on 15 October 1994, into a Punjabi Kamboh family located in the Walled City of Lahore. His father, Mohammad Azam Siddiqui, operated a small watch repair shop while his mother worked as a housewife. He is the eldest among three siblings, which include Safeer Azam, Faisal Azam, and Fariya Azam.

His interest in cricket was sparked by his older first cousins, Kamran and Umar Akmal. These relatives inspired him to pursue cricket as a professional career. Before he joined a formal cricket academy to begin his domestic journey, he worked as a ball boy at Gaddafi Stadium. He eventually sought technical guidance from his first coach, Rana Sadiq, who instructed him on the fundamentals of batting. Following this training, he became a member of the Pakistan under-19 setup.

Career

Azam made his international ODI debut on 31 May 2015, during a home series against Zimbabwe. He scored 54 runs off 60 balls in that match to secure an impressive fifty. This performance led to his inclusion in squads for an away series against Sri Lanka, although he did not play in the Test matches. During the subsequent ODI series against England, he finished with 139 runs at an average of 46.33.

In January 2016, he traveled to New Zealand and became the leading run scorer of that ODI series. He recorded 145 runs in two innings with an average of 72.50. Later that year, he made his Twenty20 International debut against England on 7 September. He scored 15 runs unbeaten in that match as Pakistan won both the game and the series.

A major breakthrough occurred during the 2016 home series against the West Indies. Azam scored three consecutive centuries in the ODI format, including scores of 120, 123, and 117. By doing so, he set a record by scoring 360 runs in a three-match ODI series. He also made his Test debut in Dubai on 13 October 2016 against the West Indies. During that match, he became the first player to score a fifty on a Test debut played under day/night conditions.

On 19 January 2017, he became the joint-fastest player to reach 1,000 ODI runs. He was also a member of the Pakistan squad that won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. In the final against India, he contributed 46 runs off 52 balls. Following this tournament, he played in T20I matches against a World XI team where he was the top run scorer with 179 runs.

His career faced a setback in May 2018 when he suffered a fractured left wrist and broken forearm. This injury occurred after he was struck by a bouncer from Ben Stokes during a Test match against England. He returned to the team in July 2018 for an ODI series against Zimbabwe. In November 2018, he achieved his first century in Test cricket during a match against New Zealand.

Personal life

Azam was raised in Lahore within a Punjabi Kamboh family. His father owned a watch repair shop and his mother is a housewife. He grew up alongside his siblings, Safeer, Faisal, and Fariya.

Awards and recognition

At the 2017 PCB awards, he received the title of Pakistan's ODI Player of the Year. He was also included in the 2017 ICC World ODI XI for the first time. Azam has been awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.