“From a ball picker in a Test at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore against South Africa in 2007 to reaching the ranks of Pakistan Test team and then taking charge of his country’s team as a captain is a giant leap indeed.” These are the words of acknowledgment for Babar Azam penned by Qamar Ahmed. A cricket writer and broadcaster, Qamar Ahmed writes these to begin the first chapter of his book, Babar Azam the Rising Star. The book is short and can be read in within a couple of hours. But it has a depth of thought in the chapters as shared by the contributors – all connected to cricket. It is a collection of insights into Babar Azam’s cricket career accompanied with pictures highlighting his journey as a young kid aspiring to play cricket for his country to becoming the skipper of the Pakistani Cricket Team. The contributors of this book include Shahid Hashmi; Omair Alavi; Rishad Mahmood; Ehsan Mani; Mazhar Arshad and Richard Heller. Qamar Ahmed has compiled, written, and edited this book. The humble beginnings of Babar Azam have been duly highlighted by the contributors. They acknowledge how Babar kept acquiring the much-needed skills and on-the-field experience to lead the Pakistani Cricket Team. It is, however, the modest origins of this player that becomes the essence of the bookHe made his ODI debut in 2015 and Test debut in 2016. During these odd six years, he is Pakistan’s only player to win each of the first four Tests as Captain – two against South Africa and Zimbabwe in 2021. Since 2019, he scored five centuries in T20 cricket, the most by any batsman in the world during this period. Moreover, as of May 18, 2021, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli were the only two batsmen to feature in the Top ICC Batting Rankings for all formats. He is also the highest run-getter in PSL history by scoring 1,174. These statistics are mentioned in the book as contributed by Mazhar Arshad. The introduction states that this book is an “appreciation of his talent.” Qamar Ahmed writes, “Babar Azam is on the road to immortality if he continues in the same vein and consistently performs to the best of his ability.” Shahid Hashmi acknowledges Babar’s vision by writing, “He may not be included in the ‘Fab Four’ – Steven Smith, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root – but he is not far behind.” Omair Alavi writes that Azam’s “rise shows that he is exceptionally talented.” Alavi suggests that with the extra burden of captaincy on his shoulders, Azam “hasn’t been able to go the extra mile in Tests.” Rishad Mahmood says that “Azam is destined for greatness” and that Azam takes on the bowlers “with aplomb and touch of a genius.” Ehsan Mani writes, “What has struck me most about Babar is his dedication, extreme hard work and uncompromising determination to be the best.” Richard Heller adds that “once established, Babar Azam’s international career in all formats of the game sees many milestones and very few setbacks.” The book, in a broader context, aims to promote a secure and safe image of Pakistan. The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. He can be reached at omariftikhar@hotmail.com and Tweets at @omariftikhar