Babar Azam is a cricketer who leads the Pakistan national team in all formats of international cricket and Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League. He currently holds the No.3 spot in Tests and T20Is and No.1 in ODIs in the ICC men’s batting rankings. Elegant is the synonym for Babar Azam the batter Pakistan has ever seen and a player who can even allure rival fans with his batting prowess.
The Lahore-born batter has established himself as one of the composed batters in all formats of the game and has already etched his name with several records only at the age of 28. There won’t be any surprise if this prodigious player goes on to rule world cricket.
The Pakistan stylish batter has played five Tests, 10 ODIs and 10 T20 Internationals since the 2017 Champions Trophy. Let's look at Babar's stats and records against the Proteas in all three formats of international cricket.
Babar Azam vs South Africa - (Test)
Babar played his first Test against South Africa on December 26, 2018, in Centurion. He scored 71 runs in the first innings but could add only six more in the second as Pakistan were bowled out for 190 and eventually lost by six wickets. He followed up with the scores of 2 and 72 in the Cape Town Test even though Pakistan lost by nine wickets. He managed 49 and 21 in the final Test as South Africa whitewashed the Asian team 3-0.
South Africa toured Pakistan in early 2021 and were scheduled to play two Tests. Babar didn't managed the big scores on the board with 7 and 30 runs didn't do justice to his talent. He made 77 and 8 in the next game as Pakistan thrashed South Africa by 95 runs in Rawalpindi to wrap up the series with a 2-0 win.
In five Tests against South Africa, Babar has scored 343 runs at an average of 34.30 with three half-centuries.
| Match No. | Innings | Runs | Venue | Date | Results |
| 1 | 1 | 71 | SuperSport Park, Centurion | December 26, 2018 | SA won by 6 wickets |
| 2 | 6 | ||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | Newlands, Cape Town | January 3, 2019 | SA won by 9 wickets |
| 2 | 72 | ||||
| 3 | 1 | 49 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | January 11, 2019 | SA won by 107 runs |
| 2 | 21 | ||||
| 4 | 1 | 7 | National Stadium, Karachi | January 26, 2021 | PAK won by 7 wickets |
| 2 | 30 | ||||
| 5 | 1 | 77 | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi | February 4, 2021 | PAK won by 95 runs |
| 2 | 8 |
Babar Azam vs South Africa - (ODI)
Babar played his first ODI game against South Africa in the 2017 Champions Trophy in Birmingham. Both the teams were clubbed in Group B of the league stage. Babar was unbeaten on 31 as Pakistan won by 19 runs via Duckworth Lewis method. In his first ODI series in South Africa, Babar scored a fifty in the first ODI. He scored 69 in the third ODI and amassed 205 runs in the series.
During the 2019 World Cup fixture against Faf du Plessis-led side, Babar made 69 in 80 balls to set up a formidable score of 308/7. Pakistan turned victorious by 49 runs at the end and strengthened their position to end up in top four but missed the mark by a whisker.
Two years after playing his first ODI in the rainbow nation, Babar returned to the country for three ODI matches. This time he was even hungrier to score the heavy runs as he registered his first international hundred against South Africa in Centurion.
It helped Babar to become the quickest batter to complete 13 ODI hundreds in 76 innings. He went last the likes of Hashim Amla (83) and Virat Kohli (86). Babar also became the first Pakistan captain to score two centuries while chasing the target. No other Pakistan captain has reached the three-figure mark in a chase more than once.
Babar scored 94 in the last ODI game with 228 runs at an average of 76 as Pakistan clinched the series 2-1. Babar's tally in the 2021 ODI series against South Africa is the highest by a Pakistan captain in a three-match series.
In the final ODI, Babar added 63 runs off 24 balls for the eighth wicket with Hasan Ali. Their run-rate of 15.75 is the third-highest for an eighth wicket in ODI cricket with minimum of 50 runs.
In 10 One-Day International innings against South Africa, Babar has aggregated 523 runs at an average of 65.38 and a strike rate of 89.55.
| Match No. | Runs | Venue | Date | Result |
| 1 | 31* | Edgbaston, Birmingham | June 7, 2017 | PAK won by 19 runs |
| 2 | 59 | St George's Park, Port Elizabeth | January 19, 2019 | PAK won by 5 wickets |
| 3 | 12 | Kingsmead, Durban | January 22, 2019 | SA won by 5 wickets |
| 4 | 69 | SuperSport Park, Centurion | January 25, 2019 | SA won by 13 runs |
| 5 | 41* | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | January 27, 2019 | PAK won by 8 wickets |
| 6 | 24 | Newlands, Cape Town | January 30, 2019 | SA won by 7 wickets |
| 7 | 69 | Lord's, London | June 23, 2019 | PAK won by 49 runs |
| 8 | 103 | Supersport Park, Centurion | April 2, 2021 | PAK won by 3 wickets |
| 9 | 31 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | April 4, 2021 | SA won by 17 runs |
| 10 | 94 | Supersport Park, Centurion | April 7, 2021 | PAK won by 28 runs |
Babar Azam vs South Africa - (T20I)
Babar Azam has scored his career's third most T20 International runs against South Africa after West Indies and England. He has compiled 410 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 148.01.
During the second T20I between the two sides in Johannesburg, Babar's 58-ball 90-run knock went in vain as Pakistan fell short by seven runs in a chase of 189.
Babar scored his maiden T20 International hundred in the third T20I against South Africa in Centurion. Set with arduous task of chasing 204, the Pakistan captain led from the front with a scintillating ton - 122 off 59 balls (15×4; 4×6).
Babar's 122 is the highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in T20Is. It was also the highest score by a captain in a T20I chase. Babar stitched a 197-run opening stand with Mohammad Rizwan which is the highest partnership by any pair in a T20I chase.
Babar has scored the most T20I runs - 410 - from Pakistan against South Africa till date. He is followed by his opening partner Mohammad Rizwan (373 runs at 62.16) and former all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez (285 at 23.75).
| Match No. | Runs | Venue | Date | Result |
| 1 | 38 | Newlands, Cape Town | February 1, 2019 | SA won by 6 runs |
| 2 | 90 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | February 3, 2019 | SA won by 7 runs |
| 3 | 23 | Supersport Park, Centurion | February 6, 2019 | PAK won by 27 runs |
| 4 | 0 | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | February 11, 2021 | PAK won by 3 runs |
| 5 | 5 | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | February 13, 2021 | SA won by 6 wickets |
| 6 | 44 | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | February 14, 2021 | PAK won by 4 wickets |
| 7 | 14 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | April 10, 2021 | PAK won by 4 wickets |
| 8 | 50 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | April 12, 2021 | SA won by 6 wickets |
| 9 | 122 | Supersport Park, Centurion | April 14, 2021 | PAK won by 9 wickets |
| 10 | 24 | Supersport Park, Centurion | April 16, 2021 | PAK won by 3 wickets |
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