Pakistan’s Babar Azam becomes fastest to 5,000 ODI runs

The 28-year-old beat South African Hashim Amla’s record when he took a single to reach 19 during Pakistan’s innings after it was sent to bat by New Zealand.

Pakistan’s Babar Azam, center, and Shan Masood take a run during the fourth one-day international cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, May 5, 2023. | Photo Credit: AP/FAREED KHAN

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on Friday became the fastest batter to complete 5,000 one-day international runs during the fourth match against New Zealand in Karachi.

The 28-year-old beat South African Hashim Amla’s record when he took a single to reach 19 during Pakistan’s innings after it was sent to bat by New Zealand.

This is Azam’s 97th innings in 99 one-day internationals, improving on Amla’s feat of reaching the milestone in 101 innings from 104 matches.

Last year he narrowly missed equalling Amla’s record for the fastest 4,000 ODI runs in 81 innings.

Azam has been the number-one batter on the International Cricket Council’s rankings for ODIs for the last two years.

He is the 14th Pakistani to complete 5,000 or more runs in ODI cricket, with former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq at the top of the list with 11,701 runs.

The unassuming Azam made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in his hometown of Lahore in May 2015.

He is also the only batter to twice score consecutive hundreds in three ODIs, having achieved the feat in 2016 and 2022.