Babar Azam Becomes Fifth Pakistani to Complete 16,000 International Runs
Babar Azam crossed 16,000 international runs during Pakistan's ODI tri-series opener against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, becoming the fifth Pakistani to the mark and closing in on Javed Miandad's all-format tally of 16,213.
Babar Azam became the fifth Pakistani batter to complete 16,000 runs in international cricket on Sunday, reaching the landmark during the opening one-day international of the tri-nation series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The 32-year-old needed seven runs at the start of the match and crossed the mark on the sixth ball of the fifth over of Pakistan's innings. He went on to score 45 off 57 balls, striking six fours, as Pakistan won the match by 37 runs, according to match reports.
Babar's aggregate now stands at 16,038 runs in 355 international matches, with 32 centuries and 111 half-centuries across Tests, one-day internationals and T20 internationals. He joins an elite list that includes Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Javed Miandad — the only other Pakistanis to pass the 16,000-run mark.
Pakistan's top 10 international run-scorers: the complete table
| Rank | Player | Span | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inzamam-ul-Haq | 1991–2007 | 495 | 20,541 | 43.51 | 35 | 129 |
| 2 | Younis Khan | 2000–2017 | 408 | 17,790 | 39.88 | 41 | 83 |
| 3 | Mohammad Yousuf | 1998–2010 | 374 | 17,134 | 45.81 | 39 | 95 |
| 4 | Javed Miandad | 1975–1996 | 357 | 16,213 | 46.99 | 31 | 93 |
| 5 | Babar Azam | 2015–2026* | 355* | 16,038* | 45.32 | 32 | 111 |
| 6 | Saleem Malik | 1982–1999 | 386 | 12,938 | 36.96 | 20 | 76 |
| 7 | Saeed Anwar | 1989–2003 | 302 | 12,876 | 41.00 | 31 | 68 |
| 8 | Mohammad Hafeez | 2003–2021 | 392 | 12,780 | 32.51 | 21 | 64 |
| 9 | Shoaib Malik | 1999–2021 | 445 | 11,855 | 33.96 | 12 | 61 |
| 10 | Shahid Afridi | 1996–2016 | 518 | 11,148 | 24.12 | 11 | 51 |
*Active player; figures include the tri-series opener against Sri Lanka on October 18, 2026.
1. Inzamam-ul-Haq — 20,541 runs
Career snapshot: Span 1991–2007 · Matches 495 · Runs 20,541 · Average 43.51 · Best 329 · Centuries 35 · Fifties 129
Inzamam-ul-Haq remains Pakistan's greatest run-machine and the only Pakistani to cross 20,000 international runs — one of just 14 players in cricket history to do so. The former captain's career stretched 16 years, and his match-winning 60 off 37 balls in the 1992 World Cup semi-final remains one of the most famous innings in Pakistan's history. His 35 centuries and 129 half-centuries underline a career of sustained, match-defining output.
2. Younis Khan — 17,790 runs
Career snapshot: Span 2000–2017 · Matches 408 · Runs 17,790 · Average 39.88 · Best 313 · Centuries 41 · Fifties 83
Younis Khan's 41 international centuries are the most by any Pakistani batter. A Test-match colossus with 10,099 runs in the format, he also captained Pakistan to their only ICC T20 World Cup title in 2009. His triple century against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009 stands as his highest score and one of the great Pakistani Test innings.
3. Mohammad Yousuf — 17,134 runs
Career snapshot: Span 1998–2010 · Matches 374 · Runs 17,134 · Average 45.81 · Best 223 · Centuries 39 · Fifties 95
Mohammad Yousuf reached 16,000 runs faster than any Pakistani — in just 388 innings. His 2006 remains one of the greatest calendar years by any batter in history: a world-record 1,788 Test runs with nine centuries, surpassing Viv Richards' long-standing mark. Elegant through the covers, Yousuf averaged over 52 in Test cricket.
4. Javed Miandad — 16,213 runs
Career snapshot: Span 1975–1996 · Matches 357 · Runs 16,213 · Average 46.99 · Best 280* · Centuries 31 · Fifties 93
Javed Miandad's tally of 16,213 has stood as Pakistan's fourth-highest since his retirement in 1996 — and it is now the record in Babar Azam's sights. Miandad played international cricket across three decades, and his last-ball six off Chetan Sharma to win the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final against India in Sharjah is among the most replayed moments in the sport's history. His career average of 46.99 is the best among Pakistan's top five run-scorers.
5. Babar Azam — 16,038 runs
Career snapshot: Span 2015–2026 · Matches 355 · Runs 16,038* · Average 45.32 · Best 196 · Centuries 32 · Fifties 111
Babar Azam is the newest and only active member of the 16,000 club. He reached the milestone in 399 innings, the third-fastest Pakistani after Yousuf and Miandad.
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He is the 35th batter in history and the seventh active player in the world to cross 16,000, joining Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith and David Warner.
Only 175 runs now separate him from Miandad's fourth position.
Babar Azam's runs by format
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Best | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 66 | 122 | 4,771 | 196 | 42.98 | 9 | 34 |
| ODIs | 144 | 140 | 6,671 | 158 | 53.43 | 20 | 38 |
| T20Is | 145 | 136 | 4,596 | 122 | 38.94 | 3 | 39 |
He is the all-time leading run-scorer in men's T20 internationals and has captained Pakistan in all three formats since his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in May 2015.
The ODI century record chase
Babar is level with Saeed Anwar on 20 ODI centuries — the joint-most by a Pakistan batter. One more hundred will take him past Anwar and give him the record outright, adding another line to an already crowded record book.
6. Saleem Malik — 12,938 runs
Career snapshot: Span 1982–1999 · Matches 386 · Runs 12,938 · Average 36.96 · Best 237 · Centuries 20 · Fifties 76
Saleem Malik was one of Pakistan's finest middle-order batters of the 1980s and 90s, and briefly captained the side. His career ended in controversy when he received a life ban over match-fixing allegations in 2000. His 237 against New Zealand remains one of the great Pakistani Test innings.
7. Saeed Anwar — 12,876 runs
Career snapshot: Span 1989–2003 · Matches 302 · Runs 12,876 · Average 41.00 · Best 194 · Centuries 31 · Fifties 68
Saeed Anwar's 194 against India in Chennai in 1997 stood as the world record for the highest individual ODI score for 13 years. The left-hander's 20 ODI centuries were the Pakistani benchmark for a generation — and are the record Babar Azam is now poised to take. In just 302 matches, his tally reflects one of the most destructive opening careers of his era.
8. Mohammad Hafeez — 12,780 runs
Career snapshot: Span 2003–2021 · Matches 392 · Runs 12,780 · Average 32.51 · Best 224 · Centuries 21 · Fifties 64
Nicknamed "the Professor," Mohammad Hafeez was a fixture of Pakistan's top order for nearly two decades and a handy off-spin option. His double century against Bangladesh in 2015 was the highlight of a Test career that, combined with his white-ball longevity, carried him past 12,700 international runs.
9. Shoaib Malik — 11,855 runs
Career snapshot: Span 1999–2021 · Matches 445 · Runs 11,855 · Average 33.96 · Best 245 · Centuries 12 · Fifties 61
Shoaib Malik's 22-year international career spanned from his teenage debut in 1999 to the T20 era he helped define. A former captain and one of Pakistan's most adaptable batters, he reinvented himself as a T20 finisher in the latter half of his career while remaining a regular across formats for over two decades.
10. Shahid Afridi — 11,148 runs
Career snapshot: Span 1996–2016 · Matches 518 · Runs 11,148 · Average 24.12 · Best 156 · Centuries 11 · Fifties 51
Shahid Afridi played more international matches for Pakistan — 518 — than anyone else on this list. His 37-ball century against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996 stood as the fastest ODI hundred in history for 17 years, and his tally of 351 ODI sixes remains a world record. Never a classical batter, "Boom Boom" Afridi's all-round impact made him one of Pakistan's most beloved cricketers.
What next for Babar?
The double round-robin tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and England continues through to the final on October 31 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, giving Babar further opportunities to climb the all-time list. With Miandad's fourth position just 175 runs away and Anwar's ODI century record one hundred from falling, the coming weeks could reshape Pakistan's record books twice over.
