Babar Azam secures ‘ICC Men’s Player of the Month’ award for August

LAHORE: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has once again proven his mettle by securing the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for August 2023.

This marks the third time that Babar has received this prestigious accolade, further cementing his status as one of the world’s top cricketers.

Babar Azam’s exceptional performance throughout August has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite facing stiff competition from team-mate Shadab Khan and West Indies’ batter Nicholas Pooran, Babar emerged victorious, demonstrating his unparalleled cricketing skills.

His performance was particularly noteworthy during the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match against Afghanistan. Despite a rare setback in the initial ODI where he failed to score any runs, Babar bounced back with consecutive fifties in the following matches. His resilience was on full display during the second ODI where he forged a crucial 118-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq, setting the stage for a thrilling last-over showdown.

Babar’s contribution of 53 runs during the run-chase, coupled with Imam’s impressive 91 runs and contributions from lower-order batsmen, led Pakistan to a nail-biting victory with just one ball and wicket to spare. Babar continued his exceptional form into the ongoing Asia Cup. In the tournament opener against Nepal, he delivered a stunning performance, amassing 151 runs off just 131 balls. This innings saw Babar reach a historic milestone by becoming the fastest player in cricket history to achieve 19 ODI centuries. This century marked his 31st across all formats for Pakistan, placing him alongside cricketing legends Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar. He now stands just behind Younis Khan (41), Mohammad Yousuf (39), and Inzamam-ul-Haq (35) in terms of centuries scored for Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023