Babar’s century drought extends ahead of 31st birthday

Lahore, 14 October 2025:

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam once again fell short of a three-figure mark as his lean patch in Test cricket continued during the ongoing first Test against South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium. The right-hander was dismissed for 42 in the second innings on day three, after managing only 23 in the first.

It has now been 14 Test matches and 27 innings since Babar last reached a century, a majestic 161 against New Zealand in Karachi back in December 2022. Since that innings, the 30-year-old has recorded only three half-centuries in the longest format.

In his 53-match Test career so far, Babar has accumulated nine centuries and 29 fifties, placing him 10th among Pakistan’s all-time leading Test run-scorers. Former captain Younis Khan tops the list with 10,099 runs from 118 matches.

The former Test and T20I captain’s struggles have not been confined to red-ball cricket. His most recent century in any international format came more than a year ago, against Nepal in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup opener in Multan on August 30, 2023.

Babar, who turns 31 tomorrow (October 15), has also been out of Pakistan’s T20I squad since December 2024 following a dip in form. He failed to register a single half-century in his last 11 T20I innings, a run that included leading Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies.

For one of modern cricket’s most prolific stroke-makers, the wait for a long innings of substance continues.