Babar creates another captaincy milestone for Pakistan

TRINIDAD: Pakistan captain Babar Azam added another milestone to his illustrious career after leading the national side for the 150th time in international cricket, joining legendary captains Imran Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq in one of Pakistan cricket’s most exclusive leadership clubs.

The landmark came during the second Test against the West Indies, further cementing Babar’s place among the country’s most successful and experienced captains.

The 31-year-old recently returned as Pakistan’s Test captain, replacing Shan Masood ahead of the team’s tours of the West Indies and England. His return marked a new chapter in a leadership journey that has already produced numerous records across all three formats.

With 150 international matches as captain, Babar now stands third on Pakistan’s all-time list. Former World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan remains at the top with 187 matches, while Misbah-ul-Haq occupies second place with 151.

Babar is also closing in on another remarkable achievement. He has guided Pakistan to 84 international victories, the second-highest by any Pakistan captain. Only Imran Khan, with 89 wins, has recorded more triumphs, while Misbah follows with 77 victories.

Across his 150 matches in charge, Babar has registered 84 wins, 51 defeats, two ties, four draws and eight no-results, giving him an impressive overall winning percentage of 56 percent.

Former captain Wasim Akram ranks fourth on Pakistan’s captaincy list with 134 international matches, followed by Inzamam-ul-Haq with 119 and Sarfaraz Ahmed with 100.

Babar first captained Pakistan in T20 Internationals in October 2019 before taking charge of the ODI side in May 2020. Later that year, he was appointed Test captain, becoming the leader across all three formats.

He stepped down from the role after Pakistan’s disappointing campaign at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, but was reappointed white-ball captain in March 2024 before resigning again later that year to focus on his batting.

Following Pakistan’s recent leadership changes, the Pakistan Cricket Board restored Babar as Test captain ahead of the current overseas assignments.

Reaching 150 international matches as captain places Babar among Pakistan cricket’s greatest leaders, and with several years of international cricket still potentially ahead of him, he now has an opportunity to surpass Misbah-ul-Haq and move closer to Imran Khan’s long-standing captaincy record.