Islamabad, October 15, 2024–Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has celebrated his 30th birthday, receiving an outpouring of good wishes and appreciation from fellow cricketers for his unwavering determination as a sportsman.
This marks the first time since his white-ball debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015 and his Test debut against the West Indies the following year that Babar has been dropped from the national team. He made a significant impact in 2016, scoring three consecutive centuries in an ODI series against the West Indies.
Five years later, Babar replaced India’s legendary Virat Kohli as the world’s number one ODI batsman, a position he has held intermittently. Two years ago, he was at the pinnacle of world cricket, leading the team and holding the top ranking in all three formats. Currently, he ranks fourth among T20 batsmen, but his form in the longer format has waned, resulting in his drop from the top 10 rankings.
On this special occasion, fellow cricketers seized the chance to send him warm wishes and recognize his exceptional talent. Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Aamir Jamal, and Salman Ali Agha are among those who expressed their affection for the former captain on social media.
Shadab shared a photo of himself with Babar, both sporting their green jerseys, and wrote on Instagram: “Happy birthday @babarazam. May you have a great year on and off the field. Everyone knows your batting class.”
Shaheen, who is also taking a break during the Test series, conveyed his wishes through an Instagram story, stating, “Wishing you a great year ahead.”
Haris Rauf, last seen leading The Stallions in the domestic Champions One-Day Cup, expressed his admiration with the message, “Tusi great hoo,” along with a birthday greeting: “Happy birthday, brother.” All-rounder Salman Ali Agha also extended his good wishes via Instagram, hoping for a “wonderful year ahead.” Aamir Jamal encouraged Babar to continue to “shine and shine more than ever.”
