Mohammad Babar Azam

Babar Azam's batting is a study in still hands and unhurried feet. He doesn't flaunt power but builds innings with a velvet-edged certainty, caressing the ball through gaps that seem to open on his command. There is an old-fashioned elegance to his cover drive and a modern calm in his run-chases, qualities that have made him Pakistan's most consistent run-scorer of the post-Misbah era.

A product of Lahore's age-group system, Babar announced himself with three consecutive ODI hundreds against West Indies in 2016 and quickly became the centrepiece of every Pakistan batting line-up. The 50-over game is where he has carved his deepest niche, piling up hundreds and anchoring the innings with a composure beyond his years, while also spending long stretches as the world's top-ranked ODI batter.

His numbers are routinely compared with the best of his generation, and while he lacks the raw muscle of some contemporaries, his ability to absorb pressure and accelerate at will makes him a nightmare for bowlers. He is particularly assured against spin, using his feet and deft touches to manipulate field placings, and his cover drive has become one of modern cricket's signature shots.

Babar took on the captaincy across formats from 2019 and led Pakistan to the 2022 T20 World Cup final, but silverware as leader eluded him and he stepped down for the final time in 2024. Freed of the armband, he remains the heartbeat of a batting line-up that leans heavily on his output, and his form, more than any other factor, still shapes Pakistan's fortunes.