As JP hit a six to Abdul Rehman, the ball was caught by the Ball Picker, Babar Azam. This catch was no easy feat, and it was the first time that the young boy had been noticed by everyone.
On October 15, 1994, a boy was born in Lahore, Pakistan. Who had a dream of conquering the cricketing world with his bat. From the very beginning, he was passionate about the game and started playing Street Cricket. Honing his skills and developing a knack for keeping his eye on the ball and placing it in the gaps.
His enthusiasm and commitment to scoring runs and getting his team to the winning line soon became a nightmare for his opponents. With his hard work and perseverance, this boy was set to make his dream a reality.
In 2007. He was desperate to be given the responsibility of ball picker for the match being held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. Miraculously, he was granted permission and it seemed like a dream come true to him, to be able to witness the Pakistani or African team stars with naked eye.
As the 5th ODI match came to a close, the South African team had scored 185/3 in 42.2 overs. As JP hit a six to Abdul Rehman, the ball was caught by the Ball Picker, Babar Azam. This catch was no easy feat, and “it was the first time that the young boy had been noticed by everyone”. With an Australian-style Reverse Cup. Babar Azam made a spectacular catch that the commentator praised, saying, “This talented boy will be the future of Pakistan”.
Commentator’s Comment on Babar Azam
The commentator’s words have instilled an unquenchable drive in Babar Azam to become a renowned name in international cricket. His path to success is far from simple, yet his humble background only serves to fuel his ambition. The sacrifices he has made throughout his career will be rewarded in due course, for surely the GOD will.
He has repeatedly demonstrated his prowess as a stylish batsman by playing cricket in the under 14, under 16, and under 19 age groups. His performances have been up to the mark.
In May 2015, The moment has arrived for Babar Azam to join the Pakistan National Team. On May 31st, he made his debut in the 3rd ODI match against Zimbabwe and he made quite the impact. His 54 runs off 60 balls was an incredible feat, leaving the crowd amazed.
He made an impressive introduction to international cricket. By earning a spot in the squads for both the Test and ODI matches against Sri Lanka. Though he wasn’t chosen for the Test side’s final eleven, he did get the chance to play for two ODI.
Babar Azam’s dream
In 2016, Babar Azam’s dream of playing in front of a Pakistani crowd was realized when he was selected for the home series against the West Indies. Little did he know that this series would be the highlight of his career. As he achieved a feat no other batsman had done before – scoring three centuries in the three-match series! Not only that, but he also set a new record for the most runs in three ODI series, amassing more than
In the third ODI against Australia, he achieved a milestone in the start of 2017. Becoming joint fastest to reach 1000 runs in only 21 innings – a feat that
World cup 2019, The Pakistani squad was ecstatic when they named him in their team, and the ICC took note, declaring him one of the five most thrilling new talents to make their World Cup debut.
Remarkable Performance of Babar Azam
His performance was truly remarkable. As he scored a remarkable hundred against New Zealand and broke records by becoming the fastest batsman to score 3000 runs in just 68 innings.
His century of 101 not out made him the first middle-order batsman to score a century in the World Cup in 32 years, a feat that had the cricketing world in awe.
In April 2021. In an incredible feat of batting prowess, he not only managed to surpass the record of Hashim Amla.
Who had held the record for 81 innings, but also became the world’s No. 1 ODI batsman with 865 points, ousting Virat Kohli from the top spot after 1258 days of reign.
In 2023, the ICC’s No. 1 ODI batsman is still the same. However his cover drive is still a thing of beauty and desire for many young cricketing hop.
Rising from a humble beginning as a Ball Picker. Babar Azam has skyrocketed to international stardom as one of the greatest batsmen in the world.
