Babar Azam clinches ICC Player of the Month award for third time

• Babar Azam was named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2023.
• He scored 191 runs in 3 ODIs against Afghanistan.
• He scored 151 runs in the opening match of the Asia Cup against Nepal.

Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, was named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month on Tuesday, taking home the honor for the month of 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 overjoyed to accept the honor.

“I am delighted to be named ICC Player of the Month for August 2023,” Babar said.

“The past month has been extraordinary for my team as we have put some terrific performances. With the Asia Cup coming to Pakistan after such a long time, it was great to play in front of the passionate and cricket-loving crowds of Multan and Lahore,” he said adding that his second ODI score of 150-plus in Multan doubled the joy.

“I am looking forward to making the most of the form as we head into an exciting phase of cricket with the backend of the Asia Cup nearing and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup around the corner. My team and I are eager to bring joy and happiness to the millions of Pakistan fans.”

The star batsman had an outstanding month in the Asian subcontinent, particularly in the 50-over format.

In the first ODI against Afghanistan in a bilateral series held in Sri Lanka, Babar faced an unusual setback, failing to score any runs. However, he quickly recovered, demonstrating his resilience by scoring two consecutive fifties. The standout performance came during the second ODI when the Pakistan captain, along with Imam-ul-Haq, formed a crucial 118-run partnership, setting the stage for an exciting last-over showdown.

Babar contributed 53 runs in the chase, well-supported by Imam’s 91 runs and contributions from the lower-order batsmen. Pakistan secured a nail-biting victory with just one ball to spare.

He continued his impressive form with another crucial 60 runs in the final ODI, helping his team reach a respectable total of 268/8. Pakistan’s bowlers then excelled, leading to a comfortable 59-run victory and a clean sweep with a 3-0 series win.

Babar’s exceptional performance extended into the ongoing Asia Cup. In the tournament’s opening match against Nepal, he delivered a remarkable performance by scoring 151 runs off 131 balls.

During this inning, the Pakistan skipper achieved a historic milestone, becoming the fastest player in cricket history to reach 19 ODI centuries.

This century marked his 31st century across all formats for Pakistan, putting him on par with legends Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar. He is now just behind Younis Khan (41), Mohammad Yousuf (39), and Inzamam-ul-Haq (35) in terms of centuries for Pakistan.

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