WC warm-up matches: Babar Azam smokes 80 versus New Zealand
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam scored a valiant fifty in his side's maiden warm-up game against New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He paced his knock to perfection and ended up scoring 80 off 84 balls, a knock laced with eight boundaries and a couple of maximums. This was his maiden outing on Indian soil. Here are further details.
A well-paced knock from Babar
Babar arrived at number three following the early dismissal of Imam-ul-Haq (1). He was watchful in the initial overs as the Kiwi bowlers were getting assistance from the Hyderabad track. However, the Pakistan skipper soon shifted the gears to enhance the scoring rate. He was involved in a 114-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan. Babar eventually fell prey to Mitchell Santner.
Babar would enter WC as the top-ranked batter
Babar has been nothing but a run-machine in the 50-over format. Moreover, he would enter the WC as the top-ranked ODI batter in the ICC rankings. He would be required to play handy knocks at number three. Notably, the batter blew hot and cold in the Asia Cup earlier this month. Babar would be raring to earn redemption at the WC.
Babar owns 19 ODI tons
Having made his ODI debut in 2015, Babar has raced to 5,409 runs in 108 games at an average of 58.16. The tally includes 19 tons and 28 fifties with 158 being his highest score. His strike rate in the format reads 89.13. Earlier this year, Babar became the fastest to 5,000 runs in ODI cricket, getting the mark in 97 innings.
Highest average in ODI cricket
It is worth noting that Babar's ODI average of 58.16 is the highest among batters with at least 2,000 runs in the format. While India's Virat Kohli (57.38) trails him, no other batter has an average of 54 or more in this regard. Imam-ul-Haq (50.44) is the only other Pakistan batter with a 50-plus average in this category.
