Babar Azam rejects 'King' title, emphasizes progress over personal glory
What's the story
Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam has requested fans and media to stop calling him "King." He made the request after Pakistan's historic win over South Africa to enter the tri-series final at home.
Instead of individual accolades, Babar stressed on the team's progress.
"Please stop calling me King. I am not King, I am not there yet," he said during a press conference.
Team triumph
Babar praises teammates for record-breaking victory
Babar praised his teammates, Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman, for their phenomenal show in the match against South Africa.
Their record-breaking 260-run partnership guided Pakistan to a remarkable six-wicket victory. They chased down 353 after being down to 91/3.
"The team had a plan, and I stuck to it. Agha and Rizwan played brilliantly today," Babar said, giving credit to their efforts for the win.
Career evolution
Babar focuses on present challenges and future growth
Despite his inconsistent form of late, Babar is still focused on his growth as a batter and leader.
"Whatever I have done before is in the past. Every match is a fresh challenge, and I must focus on the present and future," he said.
His last international century came against Nepal in August 2023, where he scored a stunning 151 off 131 balls.
New role
Babar steps up as opener in tri-series
In the tri-series ODI against South Africa, Babar was dismissed after scoring 23 runs off 19 balls.
He has taken on the role of an opener for Pakistan, after Saim Ayub's injury. He has been opening the innings along with Fakhar Zaman of late.
Babar earlier batted at number three, a position that has yielded over 5,400 runs from his blade.
ODI runs
A look at Babar's ODI career
In a career spanning a decade, Babar has racked up 5,990 runs across 125 ODIs.
In 122 innings he has managed an average of 55.98 including a strike-rate of 88.15. Additionally, he also boasts 19 tons and 34 fifties with a high score of 158 (vs England in 2021).
Meanwhile, 1,504 of his ODI runs have come at home (AVG: 68.36).
According to ESPNcricinfo, he has scored 59 runs as an opener in ODIs (four innings) while averaging 14.75.
Upcoming matches
Pakistan secure spot in tri-series final
After their victory over South Africa, Pakistan have booked a place in the tri-series final against New Zealand.
The match, set to be held in Karachi on Friday, will be their final match before the ICC Champions Trophy starts on February 19.
The tournament will be co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE, with Team India playing all its matches in Dubai due to security concerns.