Babar Azam Falls Short of Century Record
News Desk
Tarouba – The crowd at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy is buzzed with anticipation. Every time Babar Azam found the gap or leaned into a graceful cover drive, the cheers grew louder. Fans had turned up hoping to witness history — the moment their star batter would equal Saeed Anwar’s record for the most ODI centuries by a Pakistani.
Babar looked in fine touch from the moment he walked out, replacing Saim Ayub early in the innings. Calm and assured, he built a steady stand with Abdullah Shafique and later combined with Mohammad Rizwan to keep Pakistan’s innings on track. The scoreboard ticked along, every run taking him closer to the milestone.former Indian Cricketer Slams Stokes Over WTC Disregard
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But cricket, as always, had its twist. On 47, Babar danced down the track to Gudakesh Motie, eyes set on sending the ball sailing over the ropes. Instead, the delivery drifted and gripped, beating the bat and giving Shai Hope a simple stumping.
The stadium fell silent for a moment before West Indies celebrations filled the air. Babar, visibly frustrated, tapped his bat hard into the turf and began the slow walk back, his chance at history slipping away once more. His 64-ball knock featured five boundaries and a six, but the century drought that began after his 151 against Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023 continued.
The missed opportunity means the 30-year-old still sits one short of Anwar’s tally of 20 ODI hundreds, a feat Anwar achieved in 247 matches and 244 innings. Babar’s 19 centuries have come in just 131 matches and 128 innings, keeping him on course to be among the fastest ever to reach the mark.
For now, the record stays with Anwar. But with two ODIs left in the series, Pakistan’s star has another shot at both equalling the national record and moving closer to becoming the second-fastest player in history to 20 ODI hundreds — a list topped by Hashim Amla (108 innings) and followed by Virat Kohli (133 innings).
Most ODI centuries by Pakistan batters
- Saeed Anwar – 20 centuries in 247 matches
- Babar Azam – 19 centuries in 131 matches
- Mohammad Yousuf – 15 centuries in 288 matches
- Fakhar Zaman – 11 centuries in 86 matches
- Mohammad Hafeez – 11 centuries in 218 matches
Pakistan’s fans will return for the next match with the same hope — that this time, Babar Azam’s walk back to the pavilion will come after raising his bat for a record-making century.
