Babar Azam on the Brink of ODI Century Record Against Australia

Babar Azam Approaches Historic Milestone

Babar Azam, the star batter from Pakistan, is just one century away from surpassing the legendary Saeed Anwar to claim the record for the most ODI centuries by a Pakistani player. This opportunity may arise during the first ODI against Australia in Rawalpindi on Friday. Both Babar and Anwar currently share the record with 20 centuries each, but Babar has achieved this feat in a quicker span of 140 ODIs and 137 innings.

Babar's Remarkable ODI Performance

Throughout his 140 ODIs and 137 innings, Babar has accumulated 6,501 runs, boasting an impressive average of 53.72 and a strike rate of 87.16. His record includes 20 centuries and 37 fifties, with a personal best of 158 runs. He ranks as the 11th highest run-scorer in ODIs for Pakistan.

Recent Success in PSL

Babar enters this tournament following a successful campaign in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained Peshawar Zalmi to victory. He scored 588 runs in 11 innings, averaging 73.50 with a strike rate of 145.90, which included two centuries and three fifties, with a top score of 103.

Team Lineups

The squads for the upcoming match are as follows:
Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Ghazi Ghori (w), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Rohail Nazir, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Sufyan Moqim, Shamyl Hussain.
Australia Squad: Matthew Short, Josh Inglis (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (w), Cameron Green, Liam Scott, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha, Oliver Peake.