Babar Azam reaches 16,000 international runs

Babar Azam reached 16,000 international runs during Pakistan’s ODI triseries opener against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on October 18, becoming the fifth Pakistani batter to achieve the milestone. He scored 45 before being dismissed, having started the innings seven runs short of the mark. The 32-year-old completed the total in 399 innings, according to match reporting, and is the third-quickest Pakistani to reach it. Mohammad Yousuf reached 16,000 in 388 innings, while Javed Miandad did so in 398. Azam joins Miandad, Yousuf, Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq among Pakistan’s batters to have crossed the threshold. Inzamam holds the highest international total for Pakistan, with 20,541 runs, followed by Younis with 17,790. Azam’s milestone came as questions about his ODI form drew renewed attention. One account of the match described his dismissal as another short-ball exit, but the supplied reporting provides no independent technical assessment of that characterization. The milestone itself adds to a career total built across Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said on the Outside Edge show that Azam should demonstrate...