Pakistan’s star batter and former captain Babar Azam is on the brink of rewriting the history books as the national team gears up to face the West Indies in the opening match of a three-match ODI series today (Friday). The contest will take place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, with play starting at 11:00 pm (PST).
The 30-year-old maestro is just one century away from equaling the legendary Saeed Anwar’s record of 20 ODI centuries — a milestone that has stood for decades. Anwar reached the landmark in 247 matches and 244 innings, while Babar currently boasts 19 centuries in only 131 matches and 128 innings — a far superior rate.
Most ODI Centuries for Pakistan:
- Saeed Anwar — 20 centuries (247 matches)
- Babar Azam — 19* centuries (131 matches)
- Mohammad Yousuf — 15 centuries (281 matches)
- Fakhar Zaman — 11 centuries (82 matches)
- Mohammad Hafeez — 11 centuries (218 matches)
Babar also has his sights on a global milestone. If he scores his 20th century within his next four innings, he will surpass Virat Kohli’s record of being the second-fastest player to reach 20 ODI centuries — achieving it quicker than Kohli’s 133 innings and second only to South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who reached the mark in a blistering 108 innings.
Fastest Players to 20 ODI Centuries:
- Hashim Amla — 108 innings
- Virat Kohli — 133 innings
- AB de Villiers — 175 innings
- Rohit Sharma — 183 innings
A strong performance today could see Babar not only match Anwar’s historic record but also edge closer to global batting greatness.
