Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, was named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month on Tuesday, taking home the honor for August 2023.
Babar, who now holds the top rank in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, won this accolade for his outstanding performance last month.
Teammate Shadab Khan and West Indies power batter Nicholas Pooran were beaten out by Babar, who was thrilled to accept the honor.
Babar said, “I am honored to be named ICC Player of the Month for August 2023.”
“My team and I have had a wonderful month thanks to some outstanding performances. It was wonderful to play in front of the enthusiastic and cricket-loving crowds of Multan and Lahore as the Asia Cup finally made its way to Pakistan,” he remarked, adding that his second ODI score of 150+ in Multan doubled the thrill of it.
“As we enter an exciting period of cricket with the Asia Cup’s conclusion and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup coming up quickly, I am looking forward to capitalizing on the current form. We are excited to spread joy and happiness to Pakistan’s millions of fans, together with my team.
He quickly recovered, though, showing his tenacity by scoring two quick fifties. The second ODI was the highlight, as the Pakistan skipper and Imam-ul-Haq put up a significant 118-run partnership that prepared the field for a thrilling last-over contest.
Imam scored 91 runs, and the lower-order batters and Babar also contributed significantly to the run chase with 53 runs each. With one ball and one wicket remaining, Pakistan won victorious in a thrilling match.
He then contributed significantly to his team’s achievement of a respectable total of 268/8 in the final ODI with yet another critical 60. With a convincing 59-run victory, Pakistan’s bowlers won the series 3-0 and completed a clean sweep.
Babar’s impressive play extended after the series concluded, as he had a strong debut in the ongoing Asia Cup. He put on a phenomenal performance in the tournament opener against Nepal, scoring 151 runs off 131 balls.
The Pakistani captain became the player to reach 19 ODI century. Setting a new record, the fastest in the history of the match during this inning.
His 31st century for Pakistan across all formats puts him on pace with superstars Saeed Anwar and Javed Miandad. In terms of centuries for Pakistan, he currently ranks fourth, just after Younis Khan (41), Mohammad Yousuf (39), and Inzamam-ul-Haq (35).
