Advertisement
Advertisement
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam shared his thoughts after scoring a long-awaited 32nd international century here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium against Sri Lanka.
Babar scored a match-winning 102* from 119 balls, which included eight boundaries.
Chasing 289, Pakistan made light work of the target, reaching 291/2 with 10 balls to spare, thanks to commanding contributions from the top order led by their former captain.
He walked in at No.3 and stitched a century partnership with Fakhar, maintaining Pakistan’s dominance through the middle overs.
The right-hander scored an unbeaten 102 off 119 deliveries as Pakistan took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in Rawalpindi.
Speaking in the post-match presentation, the 31-year-old emphasized the importance of hard work and self-belief.
“I was waiting for it as well,” said a visibly relieved Babar at the post-match conversation. “I’ve kept believing in hard work and myself during this period.”
It was Babar’s first century in 84 innings combined in international cricket. He last scored an international century against Nepal during the ACC Asia Cup, which was played in ODI format, back in August 2023.
“I was getting the start and also scoring runs; however, I was not able to meet the team’s demands at that moment. I wasn’t trying to spend some time in the middle to get my confidence back,” he continued.
He shared his joy in surpassing Saeed Anwar’s record of becoming the quickest Pakistan batter to score 20 centuries in the format.
“It was an honor for me to achieve that, I will try to do better in the coming games,” Babar concluded.
