Pakistan’s cricket sensation and captain in all formats, Babar Azam, secured the ICC Men’s Player of the Month title for the third time, clinching the August 2023 award.
Ranked at the pinnacle in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, Babar sustained his remarkable form last month, edging out teammate Shadab Khan and West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran for the coveted title. Babar expressed his delight and remarked, “I am overjoyed to receive the ICC Player of the Month title for August 2023. The recent month was memorable for my team and me, marked by spectacular performances, especially playing the Asia Cup on home ground in front of our supportive fans in Multan and Lahore.”
He reflected on his triumph of scoring over 150 runs in an ODI in Multan. He expressed eagerness to continue the stellar form in the upcoming Asia Cup finals and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, aiming to bring joy to Pakistani fans.
Despite a minor hiccup at the beginning of the bilateral series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka, Babar exhibited resilience with consecutive half-centuries, including a vital 118-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq during the second ODI, culminating in a thrilling victory in the last over. His good run continued with another notable 60 runs in the final ODI, paving the way for Pakistan’s series sweep with a 3-0 victory.
In the Asia Cup, Babar began with a bang, scoring 151 runs against Nepal, reaching the 19th ODI century milestone faster than any player in history, equaling the century record of Pakistani legends Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar, and inching closer to surpassing the records held by Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
