All-format captain, Babar Azam, left Australia’s in-form batter, Marnus Labuschagne, behind on the list of leading runs scorers in the ongoing 2021-23 ICC Test Championship.
The right-handed batter moved to the third spot on the list after scoring a fantastic 75 runs off 95 balls in the first innings of the second Test match against England in Multan.
So far, the 28-year-old batter has scored 1168 runs in 19 innings at an average of 64.88, including three centuries and eight fifties, with his best score being 196 against Australia in the Karachi Test.
| Player | Team | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JE Root (ENG) | England | 21* | 38 | 1894 | 180* | 55.70 | 60.84 | 8 | 6 |
| JM Bairstow (ENG) | England | 15 | 28 | 1285 | 162 | 51.40 | 68.90 | 6 | 2 |
| Babar Azam (PAK) | Pakistan | 11* | 19 | 1168 | 196 | 64.88 | 51.84 | 3 | 8 |
| M Labuschagne (AUS) | Australia | 12* | 20 | 1125 | 204 | 62.50 | 57.04 | 5 | 3 |
| UT Khawaja (AUS) | Australia | 9* | 16 | 1021 | 160 | 85.08 | 50.99 | 4 | 5 |
It is pertinent to mention here that Babar is currently the leading runs scorer in 2022 across all formats, having scored 2215 runs in 46 innings at an average of 52.73, including 14 fifties and 7 centuries.
Earlier this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rated Babar Azam’s 196 in the second Test against Australia among the best batting performances in the 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship.
The all-format captain is also the only batter in the top five of the ICC batting rankings across all formats. He is ranked first in ODIs, third in Tests, and fourth in T20Is.
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