Daily Times

Consistency across formats at the international stage is the toughest task for cricketers, be it batsmen or bowlers. Pakistan’s Babar Azam is one of the rare cricketers to be able to achieve that.

The ICC rankings for batsmen is proof of Babar’s versatility. He’s ranked No. 1 in T20Is, No. 3 in ODIs and has now broken into the top 10 in Tests, where he is currently stationed at No. 9. Expect that to only improve in the coming years.

Babar averages more than 50 in T20Is and ODIs, having played 100 matches combined in both the formats. He was at his absolute best in the World Cup this year, scoring 474 runs from 8 innings with one century and three half-centuries. His consistency was rewarded with captaincy in the T20 format in October this year.

In comparison, Test cricket has been slightly more different for Babar. He began with a 69 and a 90* within his first five Test innings, making his debut in October 2016. However, consistency evaded him in his first phase of Test cricket.

Babar took 32 innings for his maiden Test ton, which came against New Zealand in Dubai last November. Since then, though, he has been in much better form; he scored two half-centuries in three Tests in South Africa, and went to Australia last month as a serious threat. Such was his form that he dominated all talks in the Australian press, with even Ricky Ponting suggesting tips on how to negate the Babar threat.

Babar didn’t disappoint, scoring 104 in the second innings in Adelaide and following it up  with a 97 in the pink-ball Test in Brisbane. Both came in losing causes but Babar stood tall above his team.

Back in Pakistan, Babar scored 102* in his first Test in his home country, against Sri Lanka last week.