ISLAMABAD, Aug 31 (APP): With the Asia Cup just commenced and the 13th edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup just weeks away, Pakistani Skipper Babar would have ample opportunity to break more records by the end of the calendar year.
As records tumbled during Pakistan’s dominant display in the Asia Cup opener, inspirational skipper Babar Azam confirmed his place among the list of all-time greats with a superb individual century against Nepal in the opening game of the Asia Cup in Multan on Wednesday.
Babar stroked a magnificent 151 from just 131 deliveries and in the process went past South Africa great Hashim Amla and became the quickest player in the history of the game to score 19 ODI centuries.
Babar reached the feat from just 102 ODI innings, with Amla holding the previous best mark in 104 innings. Babar was at his brilliant best as he scored a superb century against New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup.
The world’s No.1 ranked ODI batter hit 14 fours and four massive sixes during his entertaining innings and more records came tumbling as a result.
The 151 was the second highest score achieved at the Asia Cup, only bettered by Virat Kohli’s 183 against Pakistan in 2012.
As records shared by the International Cricket Council (ICC), it was the first time a captain has scored 150 or greater at an Asia Cup, beating the previous best from a skipper when Kohli compiled 136 against Bangladesh in 2014.
It was just the second time Babar has scored more than 150 in an ODI, with his innings of 158 against England at Birmingham in 2021 still his highest ODI score.
The knock sees Babar maintain his healthy lead as the No.1 ranked player on the MRF Tyres ODI Batting Rankings.
The innings boosted Babar’s ODI average to an astonishing 59.47, which is the fourth highest of all time in men’s ODI cricket and the best of any player with a minimum of 2000 ODI runs
It was Babar’s 31st international century, drawing him level with Pakistan legends Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar with
Younis Khan (41), Mohammad Yousuf (39) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (35) were the only players from the country in front of him
It also means Babar was now just one century away from equalling Anwar’s record of 20 ODI centuries – the most by any player from the country.
Pakistan were next in action at the Asia Cup on arch-rival India in Pallekele on Saturday, while their first clash at the World Cup this year comes against the Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6.
