James Anderson names Babar Azam his favourite Pakistani cricketer

Former England fast-bowling great James Anderson has named Pakistan batting star Babar Azam as his favourite Pakistani cricketer, offering a major compliment to the former national captain despite his recent struggles with the bat.

Anderson revealed his choices in a recently released cricket-related video in which he named his favourite players from different countries. His selection of Babar highlights the Pakistani batter’s reputation and standing among international cricket’s leading players.

Alongside Babar, Anderson picked Shane Warne as his favourite Australian cricketer, Joe Root for England, Virat Kohli for India, Tim Southee for New Zealand, AB de Villiers for South Africa and Sanath Jayasuriya for Sri Lanka.

The 44-year-old former fast bowler is widely regarded as one of the greatest Test bowlers in cricket history. He finished his international career as England’s leading Test wicket-taker, becoming the first English bowler to reach 700 Test wickets in March 2024.

Anderson played his 188th and final Test against West Indies at Lord’s in July 2024 before retiring from international cricket.

He continued playing county cricket for Lancashire and captained the county’s red-ball side in 2026. During the season, he claimed 50 wickets at an impressive average of 17.68. However, Lancashire finished seventh among eight teams in Division Two.

The county confirmed on October 25 that it would not offer Anderson a new contract for 2027, bringing his 25-year association with the club to an unexpected end. The veteran fast bowler described the departure as an outcome he had not wanted, although he has not announced his retirement from cricket.

Meanwhile, Anderson’s praise comes at a challenging time for Babar, who has struggled to maintain consistency. The Pakistani batter scored 118 runs in four matches during the recent tri-nation series and was dismissed for a duck in the final against Sri Lanka.

Babar has also gone without an international century since scoring his 20th ODI hundred against Sri Lanka in November 2025.

Despite these difficulties, he remained among the standout performers in the Pakistan Super League 2026, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 588 runs.

Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf has advised Babar to seek specialist coaching in England or Australia to address his technical weaknesses and regain his confidence.

With Anderson’s endorsement adding to his international recognition, Babar will be hoping to turn the appreciation into renewed performances on the field.