Record-breaking Babar Azam enjoying playing for home crowds

• Babar Azam says he gives his 100 percent for every match.
• The cricketer doesn't feel 'pressured' by the vice captain role.
• Babar surpassed India's Virat Kohli to become the third fastest to 11 ODI hundreds.

Pakistan's top order batsman Babar Azam is enjoying playing in front of the home crowd, after the batsman became the first Pakistan player this year to surpass 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year.

The right-handed batsman went on to smash his 11th ODI hundred in the 2nd ODI against Sri Lanka in Karachi on Monday. “I try to give my 100 percent in every match I play. I was under no pressure, as playing under the home conditions have its own enjoyment. My focus is to give my all match by match, and prove beneficial for my team,” he said at the post match conference.

Couldn't ask for a better place to complete my 11th ODI 100 and fastest 1000 runs in a calendar year than to do it in front of my people in Karachi, Pakistan. What a game it was! #RiseAndRise #PakistanZindabad #PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/Jylreete5p

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) 1 October 2019

Azam smashed the record held by former captain Javed Miandad and became the fastest Pakistan batsman to cross 1,000 runs in a calendar year.

While it had taken 21 innings for Miandad to do so in 1987, Azam achieved the same in just 19 innings. Former middle-order batsman Mohammed Yousuf and former batsman and current coach Misbah-ul-Haq share the third spot in the list, having taken 23 innings to reach the feat, Cricket country reported.

Azam further said that he is adding more shots to his repertoire, and has been practising power-hitting which he applies during the match. “My role is to play till the end, while other players would play alongside me. However, whenever I feel to take the charge I take a chance as well,” said Babar.

Talking about his latest role as the vice captain Babar said that he does not take much pressure about it, however is always eager to learn new things and advice skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed if needed.

Azam also moved past India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli to become the third fastest to 11 ODI hundreds. Babar reached his 11th hundred in ODIs in just his 71st innings while Virat Kohli needed 82 innings to get to 11 ODI centuries.

With the ODI series 1-0, Pakistan would meet Sri Lanka in the third ODI on Wednesday at the National Stadium, Karachi.