Babar Azam smashes his way to quickest 1,000 ODI runs in Pakistan history

E-Paper | May 05, 2026

Babar Azam on Thursday smashed his way to the quickest 1,000 runs in Pakistan One Day International (ODI) history in just 21 innings at Perth during the 3rd ODI against Australia.

The 22-year-old right hand batsman has become the joint-fastest player to reach the record first set 37 years ago, alongside West Indies great Sir Viv Richards, England's Kevin Pietersen and Jonathon Trott, and South Africa's Quinton de Kock, according to Cricket.com.au.

Azam entered the ODI series against Australia needing 114 runs in the first two matches to reach 1,000 runs in 21 innings and break the record first set by Richards in 1980. However, the right-hander was only able to manage scores of 33 and 34 in the opening two games.

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D.K. PAMNANI

Jan 19, 2017 12:03pm

Congratulations AZAM JI. KEEP IT UP.

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m@k

Jan 19, 2017 12:09pm

Shabash you boy!

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GAUR

Jan 19, 2017 12:15pm

All 3 tons against mighty WI.

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fair

Jan 19, 2017 12:21pm

Hope this record levelling score is winning contribution as well

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Philosopher(from japan)

Jan 19, 2017 12:27pm

Congrats. Hopefully sweeter if Pakistan wins.

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 12:56pm

Hafeez gave away 9runs in 2 overs while Amir also gave 9 runs in two overs but Hafeez being captain and very much experienced should be more effective than his junior or he should not have opened the attack where the most lethal bowlers bowl at initial stage. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Ashfaq

Jan 19, 2017 12:58pm

Well played Babar. Guess Umar Akmal managed to put pressure on you by hogging most of the balls and cutting down the runrate.

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 12:57pm

Junaid gifed 11 runs in his 1st over means what? We must chain them. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Fiz

Jan 19, 2017 12:58pm

With 263 , no chance.

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 01:01pm

Superb bowling by Amir who gave away just 1 run in his 3rd over and honestly speaking lot depends on him because he is believed to be our main destroyer. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 01:22pm

Our victory is in sight now. Amir sent back Khawaja and earlier Junaid trapped the dangerous Warner and if keep it up alike I can bet on my life that we will win this match as well. Dont lose the grip and instead tighten it still the more. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Ajay Manidhar

Jan 19, 2017 01:24pm

Dropped three times, still couldn't complete his century....

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 01:28pm

We were 1/36 and 2/85 and Australians are 1/44 and 2/45 means we are very much on the winning track and if we keep it alike then none can snatch away victory from us. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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citizen

Jan 19, 2017 01:47pm

Kohli's era over..Greatest ever batsman Babar's era started...He will overtake Broadman..

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 01:59pm

Smith being captain and batsman has scored just 4 runs after facing 13 balls is not what is required in ODI but may be justifiable in test. We have really chocked them and in such situation normally runs are not scored instead players are out. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Essa

Jan 19, 2017 02:08pm

@citizen ... Are you really praising babar or joking?

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Hadi

Jan 19, 2017 02:18pm

Fantastic achievement! A world record, worthy of it! MashAllah

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IMTIAZ ALI KHAN

Jan 19, 2017 02:18pm

Congrats Babar Azam. Pakistan has talent, but corruption is the problem, which we are facing in every aspect of life including sports. PPP/PMLN tried, tested and failed! They have to go. Judiciary has to show that they have changed and no one is above the law.

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citizen

Jan 19, 2017 02:22pm

@zaidi, Iqbal hadi : Looks like our choke is not working.. Smith 38 in 44 balls...

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 02:33pm

We have lost the grip and now it looks that Australia may eventually win the match if we cannot separate the couple which has already piled up as many as 80 runs between them. High time for us to wake up from somber sleep lest we are happy to welcome defeat. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 02:42pm

Our captain Hafeez scored just 4 runs while batting and gave away 30 runs when bowled 6 overs while Australian captain Smith has scored 50 and still playing and who knows what will be score he returns to the dressing room. Who is real captain, may I dare ask? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 02:48pm

The pair has scored century which we could not indicates that perhaps our fate is already sealed by this couple though they still have some lethal weapons in their arsenal. We fail in batting believing that bowling will make up what we lost in batting but what happens when we fail in bowling as well which is very much apparent now. Who opposes me? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Shahzad

Jan 19, 2017 02:57pm

Hafeez stop start batting in which he got 72 in the last match, means he is good for the next 3 series.

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 03:07pm

Roko rook! Dur lug raha hay. Only another 94runs needed t win and the couple is no mood to quit. Smith scored 67 while Handcomb scored 52 and couple has added 15 runs. How can we avoid defeat if none if the two goes back? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 03:14pm

Just see their innings. They scored 10runs in 31st over / 7 runs in 32nd over / 8 runs in 33rd over / 7 runs in 34th over / 11 runs in 35th over and 9 runs in 36th over. Where do we stand now. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Ths

Jan 19, 2017 03:18pm

If he was played lower in the order in first 2 games he may have beaten the record.

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Ths

Jan 19, 2017 03:14pm

Pakistan should have played Wahab Riaz in 3rd ODI on this quick and bouncing pitch.

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Ths

Jan 19, 2017 03:21pm

Hafeez low score again and in last ODI he was dropped on 4 runs and again on 40

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Ths

Jan 19, 2017 03:17pm

Pakistan on verge of defeat looked 40 -50 runs short .

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 03:23pm

Handscomb playing 1st ODI and already scored as much as 76 runs and wh0 knows he scores century to jeer and mock at us. My goodness we could not do anything against such a newly born player. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 03:27pm

We are defeated but I want new thrill to end the game which we could have won but lost. I wish Handcomb who is on strike strikes 6,6,6,6,6, and 6 to win historically and show us the mirror to look our faces if we have nit seen before. How humiliating defeat! Iqbal Hadi ZAIDI

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zaidi, Iqbal hadi

Jan 19, 2017 03:29pm

Handcomb is out at 82 but only when Pakistan s declared as out. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Cricketer

Jan 19, 2017 03:36pm

Responsibility of this match loss with be totally on Hafeez & Umer Akmal , As Babar Azam is Junior but still trying to score while umer akmal was keep playing dot balls, Since Imad wasim is good but he was not very useful today as Aussies keep targeting him so hafeez should replace him with shoaib malik but.. dirty politics in team.

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Peace

Jan 19, 2017 03:39pm

Easy win for Aus.Captain Smith hammered a superb century.

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Shahid

Jan 19, 2017 03:45pm

No one can explain what Nawaz is doing there when he can't bowl, bat or catch a ball. Asad Shafiq is a superb batsman in the longer version of the game where he can wait and wait for a ball to be scored runs on but he has failed in the shorter version for 6 long years now and in 60 ODIs has an average of 24 with a strike rate in sixties, specially in an era where a strike rate of 80+ is a minimum requirement. On top of it, most of his matches have been in UAE too. What I am trying to say is, that until PCB changes it's mindset of this defensive approach, we won't be able to win matches unless our bowlers bowl out the opposition at low scores.

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Arun-KS

Jan 19, 2017 03:51pm

This is 45.0 overs ladies & gentlemen and Australia Thrashed again!

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Shampee

Jan 19, 2017 03:54pm

here we go another defeat feather in the cap

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Desi Dimag

Jan 19, 2017 03:56pm

Ok, it is done.

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Hadi

Jan 19, 2017 03:58pm

Good victory for Aussies - series is certainly alive. Pakistan at least 40 runs short and - with the benefit of hindsight - a quick bowler short as well (Wahab instead of Imad), though would have been hard to justify given the need for more batsmen. Great start by the bowlers, need to apply the leasons and who knows, a 3-2 down under inshAllah :)

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IMran

Jan 19, 2017 04:25pm

Great guy. Keep it up. Give him some time before you take him to test format. Too early to test matches will only hurt his confidence. But shame on selectors who are wasting his effort by selecting guys likes of Shafeeq n Rizwan.

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Nasir S.

Jan 19, 2017 06:30pm

Its not quantity but quality. How many have come against a world class attack and contributed to team winning from difficult positions

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SHIVA

Jan 19, 2017 08:40pm

@zaidi, Iqbal hadi The fact is Australia's top domestic players are on par with the international players if not more. They are just waiting for their chances to play in International circuit. On the other hand Pakistan finds it hard even to get their balance of players right if not the performance. And that too deep into the tour with 3 tests and 2 ODIs already over.

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naveed,usa

Jan 19, 2017 09:21pm

@IMran This is the right time to induct him in the test team as well,it's the technique which comes into play,he has that. Yes,Rizwan shouldn't be in the odi team but give some time to Asad ,he can be handy in odis.

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Ahmed shezad

Jan 19, 2017 10:15pm

Thanks for catches drop at 32 and on 48. He has some huge technical fault in his batting. This is a reason he was failed against good bowling attack in whole test series. By the way his and Kamran Akmal specially batting was slow. Look at the strike rate. We should cross 300 runs easily. What a start by Sharjeel and later they put us down for their batting show.

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Saima khan

Jan 19, 2017 10:24pm

Match was lost due to slow batting and bad bowling & fielding. We sholud cross 300 runs, look a Sharjeel, he gave us a good start, later Umar Akmal (test inning) and Babar self batting put us are down At number 3, in this situation we were expecting batter batting with good strike rate. If catches were not dropped Babar could not make this milestone. Not a good inning, Pakistan lost.

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Dr. Salaria, aamir Ahmad

Jan 20, 2017 12:44am

Well done Babar Azam. Keep it up and hang on tough.

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Younus

Jan 20, 2017 10:22am

I think Pakistan should play Younus Khan in 1 day series. He will play better then many so called 1 day "specialists" that Pakistan has in the team at present.

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bharat

Jan 20, 2017 12:38pm

He will never be a Hafeez or Misbah. Best is for him to try to be Anwar

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BABAR-I- Azam

Jan 20, 2017 11:22pm

@Arun-KS - concetrate on your performances abroad, 2 test wins away in 20 years... that's just embarrassing!

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Seneca

Jan 20, 2017 11:45pm

Babar is young and has lots of potential, some more experience and a good mentor will make him a star. I think he needs to be a little more aggressive and dictate terms against bowlers. He seems too passive at times. For example Sarfraz, Sharjeel and Afridi are all aggressive players that don't let bowlers bully them. Babar might not be the same type of player but he can't have a 60-80 strike rate in Intl ODI. If you add him and a player like Azhar Ali then PK is bound to score less then 250 consistently which is unacceptable in modern ODI.

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