Pakistan’s star batsman, Babar Azam, etched his name into cricketing history. With a brilliant half-century, Azam surpassed the legendary MS Dhoni’s record for the most 50+ scores in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).
Pakistan’s cricket star Babar Azam has just made headlines once again with a bang. He surpassed Indian legend MS Dhoni’s record for the most half-centuries against SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). This historic achievement came during the second ODI against South Africa in Cape Town on December 19, 2024.
Babar ended his 21-innings drought by scoring a brilliant 73 off 95 balls, which included seven boundaries. This was his first half-century in ODIs in 411 days, with his previous one being an unbeaten 66 against New Zealand during the World Cup. His latest fifty marked his 39th against SENA countries, breaking Dhoni’s previous record of 38 such scores.
The match was equally remarkable for Pakistan as they secured an emphatic 81-run victory. The team clinched the three-match series with a 2-0 lead. Batting first, Pakistan posted a commanding total of 329 runs. All thanks to a steady 80 from Mohammad Rizwan and a quickfire 63 off just 32 balls by Kamran Ghulam. Babar’s composed knock further solidified the innings, aided by South Africa’s poor fielding and missed chances.
In response, South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen showed resilience with a fiery 97 off 74 balls. However, Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, dismantled the hosts for 248 runs in 43.1 overs. Afridi took four wickets, while Naseem claimed three in a dominating performance.
Babar’s achievements in 2024 continue to stack up. He also became the fastest to score 11,000 runs in T20 cricket earlier this year, surpassing West Indian great Chris Gayle. Additionally, he crossed the 9,000-run milestone in List A cricket and amassed over 1,000 ODI runs this calendar year.
The star batter’s 73-run knock tied him with Mohammad Yousuf for the second-most half-centuries by a Pakistani player across all formats. Both aced players are standing at 95. Inzamam-ul-Haq leads this chart with 129 half-centuries.
With the series already in hand, Pakistan will aim for a clean sweep in the final ODI, the iconic “Pink ODI,” on December 22 in Johannesburg. Moreover, riding high on momentum, Babar Azam and his team look unstoppable as they continue to rewrite the record books.