Cricket fans can hardly wait for the World Cup 2023, and the countdown has officially started as the venues, teams, and fixtures were announced in late June. Among all the excitement and expectation, one name stands out: Babar Azam. With 13 centuries and 17 half-centuries in international ODIs, Babar Azam holds the record of being “the joint-fastest player to score 1000 ODI runs” and second-fastest batsman to reach the 2000 runs milestone in ODI cricket.

However, at the most crucial stages like the ICC World Cup even the biggest of performers need a little more than just commitment. They need to know the game of undoing unnecessary pressure – and so does Babar. The question is: Will the dream of Pakistani fans to see Babar Azam with trophy come true? Today we set out to explore the fascinating impact that Babar Azam will have on the tournament.

Babar Azam’s Performances in his Previous ICC World Cup  

Babar Azam’s stellar play in past World Cups proves his enormous skill. In the 2019 edition, he showcased his skills with a memorable century against New Zealand. Babar Azam’s century in World Cup 2019 was a major factor in Pakistan’s triumph, and it exemplified his ability to perform well under intense pressure. This play won him praise and marked him as an up-and-coming talent in his field.

Not only did Babar Azam century in World Cup 2019 won him applause, but even though Pakistan was already out of the knockouts, this did not stop Babar from performing; he nearly hit another ton against Bangladesh, but was dismissed only four runs before he could. His overall strike rate and average in the tournament were also tremendous, eventually getting him the national captaincy and the ODI Cricketer of the Year Award 2021 and the Sir Garfield Sober’s Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2022. 

Babar Azam with his ICC awards

Babar Azam aspires to lift and bring the beautiful ICC trophy like any other player chosen for the World Cup and every other national team captain. Fans know the pain of being inches close to the trophy and not getting it from the times of the T20 World Cups 2021 and 2022. Yet, they are all pumped and want to see Babar Azam with trophy this year. 

Chasing the Highest Glories: Can Babar Azam Break Kohli’s Record? 

The talents and reliability, especially the classy cover drives, of Babar Azam have been compared to those of the great Virat Kohli. In the history of limited-overs cricket, Kohli has set several milestones, including being the quickest batsman to reach 8,000, 9,000, and 10,000 runs. Can Babar Azam break Kohli’s record? It’s going to be tough, but it’s not unattainable. Babar seriously threatens Kohli’s records because of his excellent technique and desire to score plenty of runs. Babar Azam would need to keep up his stellar performance for a protracted period. 

Babar Azam with Virat Kohli

An Epitome of Consistency and a Symbol of Sheer Optimism 

Ricky Ponting, a cricketing star and the former captain of the Australian cricket team, thinks Babar Azam has what it takes to become great. Ponting lauded Azam’s technical prowess, coolness under fire, and offensive dominance. Babar Azam’s incredible batting average in ODI cricket speaks to his reliability. He is among the few people in history to attain an average of 50 or above. In the words of former cricketer and now-commentator and critic, Nasser Hussein, “You won’t realize how good Babar Azam is until he’s gone”.

Azam’s recent successes on the international cricket stage and his reliability in the PSL are further evidence of his ability to maintain a high standard of play. He has been indispensable to the Karachi Kings; Babar Azam in PSL has been a brand, more than a player. Owing to this, Peshawar Zalmi’s franchise owner, Javed Afridi, invited him to captain his franchise. The stellar play of Babar Azam in PSL has ensured that he will be a major factor in the World Cup as a top-tier batter.

Babar Azam in PSL

There is no denying the impact that Babar Azam has had in every ICC tournament he played or captained. The World Cup, however, is a true test of skill, zest, and teamwork. Babar Azam, however, often faces pressure from fans to perform in and win matches single-handedly. What must be affirmed here is that even the most skilled stumble on big platforms. If fans continue showering their support through his once-in-a-blue-moon upsets, this will be the biggest factor that will make us witness Babar Azam with Trophy.