RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Thursday, put another feather to his cape as the top-ranked ODI batter achieved a scintillating landmark amid the first PAK vs NZ ODI here at Pindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan’s batting superstar Babar Azam accumulated 12,000 runs in international cricket when he scored his sixth run in the first PAK vs NZ ODI.

The right-handed batter took just 277 innings to amass the milestone and became the fastest Pakistani and second-fastest Asian batter to achieve the feat.

He is the sixth-fastest overall in the world to get to the milestone. West Indies batting great Sir Vivian Richards was the fastest batter to complete 12,000 runs as he took just 255 innings.

Meanwhile, Babar is overall the eighth Pakistani batter to complete 12,000 runs in international cricket.

 

He joined  Inzamam-ul-Haq (20541), Mohammad Yousaf (17134), Javed Miandad (16213), Saleem Malik (12938), Saeed Anwar (12876), Mohammad Hafeez (12780) and Younis Khan (11790) in the elite list.

It is pertinent to mention New Zealand set Pakistan to chase 289 in the first ODI after Babar put the touring side into bat as the coin flipped in his favour.

Experienced all-rounder Daryl Mitchell led the charge for New Zealand as he scored a magnificent century while Will Young scored a brilliant half-century.

Mitchell top-scored for New Zealand with 113 off 115 deliveries, laced with 11 boundaries and a six.

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