Azam creates beeline for record books
Babar became a second-youngest actor to measure 3 uninterrupted ODI centuries as he helped Pakistan varnish a visiting West Indian side. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: Pakistan’s varnish win opposite a mostly suggestive West Indies group enclosed many critical contributions and performances though batsman Babar Azam remained conduct and shoulders above both his teammates and opponents with a record-breaking show.
The 21-year-old notched his initial ODI century in a initial diversion of a array during Sharjah and by a time a three-match array resolved in Abu Dhabi, he had combined dual some-more hundreds with roughly free ease.
Azam’s high batting opening catapulted him into a record books as he not usually pennyless a record for many runs in a three-match ODI array — 360 in 3 innings — though also became usually a third batsman from Pakistan to measure 3 uninterrupted centuries, while also being a second-youngest.
Triple-ton Azam leads array win opposite WI
Azam started a ODI array with a 120-run hit off 131 balls; afterwards scored 123 off 126 balls to transcend his that bid in a second diversion final Sunday before a dictatorial 117 off 106 balls during Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Stadium laid a foundations of a thumping 136-run win on Wednesday.
Azam overtook South African Quinton De Kock, who had scored 342 runs opposite India in a Dec 2013 array during home.
Azam is also in good association when it comes to compatriots with 3 uninterrupted centuries, pity that feat with batting greats Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar — Zaheer opposite India in 1982-83 and Anwar in a 1993 tri-series during Sharjah that featured West Indies and Sri Lanka besides Pakistan.
Azam, who done his 50-over entrance opposite Zimbabwe during Lahore final year, was widely rated as one of Pakistan’s many earnest talents and has taken to general cricket like a steep to water, carrying scored a fifty on debut.
Perseverance a key, says centurion Azam
The right-hander has left from strength to strength given afterwards — his dominant 62 opposite England during Abu Dhabi final year was his initial match-winning grant opposite a heading group while he also scored 62 and 83 in a dual games opposite New Zealand progressing in a year.
At benefaction Azam is a usually dilettante Pakistani batsman to normal some-more than 50 in a ODI format — nonetheless he has usually done 18 appearances in a format — and averages 52.11 joined with an considerable strike-rate of 93.55.
Meanwhile Azam has another universe record in sight; if he creates 114 some-more runs in his subsequent dual ODIs, he would mangle Sir Viv Richards’ long-standing record of being a fastest to strech 1,000 runs. The West Indies good reached that symbol in 21 innings while Babar now has 886 runs in 18 knocks.
Babar praised for Azam of an innings
The Pakistan record to 1,000 runs is now hold by skipper Azhar Ali, who took 23 matches to strech a figure.
Azam already has a many runs for a Pakistani batsman after 18 games and is expected to during slightest mangle Azhar’s if not Richards’ record when a Men in Green lapse to a ODI format in a five-match array opposite Australia in their possess backyard early subsequent year.
Another century afterwards will also see him equal record of 4 uninterrupted centuries, that a Sri Lankan fable achieved during a 2015 World Cup.
Published in The Express Tribune, Oct 7th, 2016.
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Article source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/1194646/azam-makes-beeline-record-books/