What Is Babar Azam's Net Worth and Salary?
Babar Azam is a Pakistani international cricketer who has a net worth of $10 million. Babar Azam formerly served as captain of Pakistan's national cricket team, and he is considered to be one of contemporary cricket's best batters. As of this writing, Babar is ranked the #1 batter in One Day International (ODI), #5 in Twenty20 International (T20Is), and #8 in Test Batting. In 2023, he became the captain of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Peshawar Zalmi. Domestically, Azar previously played for Zarai Taraqiati Bank (2010/11–2013/14), Islamabad Leopards (2012/13–2014/15), State Bank of Pakistan (2014/15), Sui Southern Gas Corporation (2015/16–2017/18), Islamabad United (2016), Karachi Kings (2017–2022), Guyana Amazon Warriors (2017), Sylhet Sixers (2017), Somerset (2019–2020), and Central Punjab (2019/20–2023). In November 2023, Babar resigned from the position of captain in all formats after the Cricket World Cup.
PSL Salary
Babar Azam plays for the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He is one of the highest-paid players in the league, and his salary has increased over the years as he has progressed from the Silver category to the Platinum category. In the 2023 season, he was reportedly paid the equivalent of $170,000 (approximately INR 1.24 crore).
Endorsments
Babar Azam has a large social media following, which makes him a valuable asset for brands. He has endorsement deals with a number of companies, including Oppo, Head & Shoulders, HBL, and Huawei. These deals can be worth millions of rupees per year.
Early Life
Babar Azam was born Mohammad Babar Azam on October 15, 1994, in Walled City, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. He is from a Punjabi Muslim family, and he spent his youth "playing cricket and roaming around like a free bird." Babar's older cousins got him interested in cricket, and their stories about the sport inspired him to pursue a career as a cricketer. Before getting involved with a cricket academy, Azam was a ball boy at the cricket venue Gaddafi Stadium. He later joined the Pakistan U-19 (under 19) team.
Career
In May 2015, Babar joined Pakistan's ODI squad for a home series in which they played against Zimbabwe. He made his debut in the third game and scored 54 runs off 60 balls, earning a spot on the ODI and Test squads that had been chosen for an away series against Sri Lanka. Azam didn't end up playing in the Test series, and he scored 37 runs during the ODI series. During the ODI squad's home series against England, he scored 139 runs. In early 2016, he scored 145 runs during an away series against New Zealand, making him the leading run scorer in the series. In July 2016, Babar scored 122 runs during a five-match series against England, and a few months later he played in his first Twenty20 International match for Pakistan, scoring 15 runs off 11 balls. During a 2016 home series against the West Indies, he scored 120 off 131 balls in the first match and won the Man of the Match award. He then scored 123 off 126 balls in the second match and 117 off 106 balls in the third match and broke the record for most runs in a three-match ODI series (360).
(Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)
In January 2017, Azam tied the record for fastest player to score 1,000 runs in ODI matches, and he was ranked in the top 10 of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) ODI batsmen's rankings for the first time. During the final match of that year's Champions Trophy, he scored 46 off 52 balls, then he played three T20I matches in Pakistan as part of the World XI team and was the series' top runs-getter (179). He was Pakistan's leading runs-scorer in both ODIs (872) and T20Is (352) in 2016, and he was named Pakistan's ODI Player of the Year at the 2017 PCB Awards. In 2018, Babar was the leading run scorer (109) in the T20I series and was ranked as the #1 T20I batsman. He suffered a fractured wrist and broken forearm in May 2018 after being struck on the arm during a match, and after returning to the game in July, he scored 184 runs during a five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe. Azam was chosen for the 2018 Asia Cup and scored 156 runs in five matches. He was selected to be on Pakistan's team in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and he became an overseas player for Somerset in the 2019 t20 Blast. In September 2020, he captained Pakistan's team in an ODI home series against Zimbabwe and was named Man of the Series after scoring 221 runs. In December 2022, Babar broke the record for most runs scored by a Pakistan batter in a calendar year. In November 2023, Babar resigned from all captain positions after his team failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
Personal Life
In 2021, a Lahore court directed the Federal Investigation Agency to open a case against Babar after he was accused of harassment and blackmail by Hamiza Mukhtar. The previous year, Mukhtar stated that Azam "forced her to have an abortion and made false promises of marriage." According to "ESPN cricinfo," "Mukhtar filed a complaint with the FIA – Pakistan's federal investigating body – alleging that she had received threatening phone calls and messages from unidentified people. On investigation, the FIA found one of the numbers to be registered to Azam – who they refer to as Muhammad Babar. Azam was summoned to appear before the agency but didn't. In his place his brother Faisal Azam appeared, asking for more time." In January 2021, Mukhtar withdrew the complaints she had made in 2020, stating, "I am recording this statement without any pressure. Some of my friends encouraged me to make false allegations against Babar to gain fame. Next time, If I make any such statement, action should be taken against me."
Awards
Azam was selected for the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year in 2017 and 2019, and he was the captain of the team in 2021 and 2022. He was named PCB's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and 2021 and PCB's T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2018. Babar was named ARY News Person of the Year and Pakistan Super League Player of the Tournament in 2020 and ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year and ICC Player of the Month (April) in 2021. That year he was captain of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year and ICC Men's T20 World Cup Team of the Tournament. In 2022, Azam was named ICC Cricketer of the Year, ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year, and ICC Player of the Month (March), and he was chosen for the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year. In 2023, he was honored with Pakistan's third-highest civilian award, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, making him the youngest cricketer to receive the award at the age of 28.
