Babar Azam becomes highest scoring Pakistani batter in all formats of a calendar year

Babar Azam on Monday became the Pakistani batter with the most runs — 2,436 — in all formats of the game in a calendar year.

Babar broke the record of former captain and incumbent batting coach Mohammad Yousaf, who made the record in 2006 with 2,435 runs to his name.

The national team captain played 51 innings in 44 matches in 2022 and averaged 55.30, with his highest score being 196.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the skipper scored eight hundreds and 17 fifties in the outgoing year.

Babar claimed the record on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand while he was on his way to a century. He led Pakistan’s recovery to 224-4 at tea, after New Zealand’s spinners made early inroads.

Despite the mountain of runs he has piled up this year, Babar’s tally — to which he can still add — was some way short of the world record held by Ricky Ponting, who amassed 2,833 runs in 2005.