The search for a century since the conclusion of the Asia Cup 2023 for Babar Azam continues as the top-order batter was bowled out for a duck during the second match of the three-game ODI series against the host, West Indies. Babar Azam’s century-less streak extends to 28 innings, 711 days after he went wrong on the line against a full-length delivery from WI pacer Jayden Seales.
How the search for a century starts for the star batter
The last international century Babar Azam scored was against Nepal during the 2023 Asia Cup, when he played a mammoth 151-run knock against Nepal. As of now, it remains as his last international century for the former Pakistan batsman. Since then, the batter has scored 929 runs from 28 ODI innings at an average of 37.16 and strike rate of 79.53, including nine 50-plus scores but no score above 78. The batting average and strike rate are significantly low compared to his career’s overall tally. In his international career, Babar has produced an average of 54.62 and an 87.78 strike rate.
In the same year, before the 2023 Asia Cup, Babar shockingly got a duck against Afghanistan. Then, he revived his form by scoring back-to-back half-centuries against the same opponent and then a ton against Nepal. Now, when Babar has started to drop his credibility, the duck against Afghanistan is now marked as the hint of his career’s upcoming cold days. Before the stretch of the ongoing poor run, the Pakistani batsman smashed 19 tons in 102 ODI innings.
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Form decreased in two other formats as well
Since the high moment against Nepal, not only have his numbers gotten pale in ODIs, but also gradually in Tests and T20Is. After the post-Asia Cup 2023 period, the 30-year-old managed to collect only 23.15 runs on average from 10 matches with 3 fifties and no hundreds.
During the same period in the T20 Internationals, the batter bagged only 738 runs at 33.54 and 133.21 from 24 matches. Overall, across all three international formats, Babar has gotten 31 centuries with his name, but the 32nd century for Pakistan is yet to come.
Babar Azam’s international career stats (batting only):
Test career:
Matches: 59
Runs: 4,235
Average: 43
Highest Score: 196
Centuries: 9
Half-Centuries: 29
One-Day Internationals (ODIs) career:
Matches: 131
Runs: 6,235
Average: 55
Highest Score: 158
Centuries: 19
Half-Centuries: 37
T20 International career:
Matches: 128
Runs: 4,223
Average: 40
Highest Score: 122
Centuries: 3
Half-Centuries: 36
Babar Azam is regarded as one of the best batters in Pakistan. The right-hand batter has struggled in the last couple of years, and his search is still on for good form. The batter failed to secure his place in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, and the board has made clear their intentions to move away from Babar in T20Is. However, he is still the prominent member of ODI and Test squads.
