Key points
- Reached milestone in 37th Test appearance
- Shan Masood, Imam add 161-run partnership for second wicket
LAHORE: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam reached a major milestone in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) during the opening Test of the two-match series against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Babar, who needed just two runs before the match, surpassed the 3,000-run mark in WTC history, becoming the first Pakistani and the eighth player overall to achieve this remarkable feat.
The right-handed batter reached the landmark in his 37th Test appearance, having already recorded 18 half-centuries and eight centuries in the Championship to date.
Alongside the 30-year-old, the list of players with more than 3,000 WTC runs features three English batters — Zak Crawley (3,041), Ben Stokes (3,616), and Joe Root (6,080), with Root holding the record for the most runs in WTC history.
Elite group
The elite group also includes four Australian stars: Steve Smith (4,278), Marnus Labuschagne (4,225), Travis Head (3,300), and Usman Khawaja (3,288).
Opener Abdullah Shafique was dismissed in the first over after scoring only two runs. Following his departure, captain Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq built a 161-run partnership for the second wicket.
The stand was eventually broken when Shan Masood was dismissed by Prenelan Subrayen for 76 off 147 balls, hitting nine fours and one six.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan.
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Sen Muthusamy, Prenelan Subrayen, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer.
