Pakistan national cricket team's captain Babar Azam recently created a new history in international cricket with the most consecutive fifties in international cricket. In this part, the right-handed batter broke the 35-year-old record.
In the recent home ODI series against West Indies, Babar Azam hit back-to-back 50+ scores (103 and 77) at Multan before getting out on one run in the third and final game of the series at the same venue.
Babar Azam broke Javed Miandad’s record
With his last 50+ score (77 runs) during the second game of the three-match home ODI series against West Indies, Babar surpassed the legendary Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad’s record of most consecutive 50+ scores in international cricket history. That last half-century knock was Babar’s ninth consecutive 50+ score, while Miandad was previously holding the record of consecutive 50+ scores in eight straight innings.
Babar hit four centuries during his incredible record of most consecutive 50+ scores in international cricket
In this latest international cricket record, Babar started his journey in March 2022 during the Karachi Test match against Australia. During the fourth innings of that Test match, while the hosts were chasing the mammoth 506 runs target, Babar’s 196 off 425 balls set the dream on for his team. Ultimately, that Test had a close finish with a draw result.
In the next Test match against Australia at Lahore, Babar scored 67 and 55 runs.
Soon, they played three ODIs and one T20I against the same visiting side Australia at Lahore, including playing the last ODI and only T20I in early April. After scoring 57, 114 and 105 not out in the ODI series, Babar scored 66 runs in the only T20I match.
Since 8th June 2022, Babar Azam-led Pakistan were hosting West Indies in a three-match ODI series at Multan. After recording his third consecutive ODI century with the knock of 103 runs, which also helped him become the first batter to record three consecutive ODI centuries twice, Babar created a new history in most consecutive fifties in international cricket with the knock of 77 runs.
Babar’s amazing run of most consecutive fifties in international cricket finally ended on 12th June 2022 during the third or last ODI of the series against West Indies at Multan. In that series finale, the Pakistan captain was trapped lbw by Hayden Walsh for just one run.
Between March and May 1987, former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad recorded eight consecutive ODI 50+ scores, including one century. It was also the record for most consecutive fifties in international cricket.
Most consecutive fifties in international cricket
Player (Team) | Consecutive 50+ scores in innings (including 100s which may not be consecutive) | Timeline | Formats (first to last) |
Babar Azam (Pakistan) | 9 (4) | March-June 2022 | Test, Test, Test, ODI, ODI, ODI, T20I, ODI, ODI |
Javed Miandad (Pakistan) | 8 (1) | March-May 1987 | All in ODIs |
Everton Weekes (West Indies) | 7 (5) | March 1948-February1949 | All in Tests |
Rahul Dravid (India) | 7 (3) | December 2004-March 2005 | Test, ODI, ODI, ODI, Test, Test, Test |
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) | 7 (1) | February-June 2009 | ODI, ODI, ODI, Test, Test, Test, T20I |
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan) | 7 (0) | November 2010-January 2011 | Test, Test, Test, Test, Test, Test, ODI |
Chris Rogers (Australia) | 7 (0) | December 2014-July 2015 | All in Tests |
Kane Williamson (New Zealand) | 7 (1) | June-August 2015 | ODI, ODI, ODI, ODI, T20I, ODI, ODI |
KL Rahul (India) | 7 (0) | March-August 2017 | All in Tests |
Steven Smith | 7 (3, including one 200+ score) | July-September 2019 | ODI, Test, Test, Test, Test, Test, Test |
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Interesting facts about the record of most consecutive 50+ scores in international cricket
Before Babar Azam, former Indian women’s cricketer Mithali Raj recorded nine consecutive 50+ scores in women’s international cricket from December 2016 to June 2017. Mithali began that streak with the Women’s T20I scores of 62 (vs Sri Lanka Women) and 73 not out (vs Pakistan Women) in December 2016.
In February 2017, Mithali scored 70 not out (vs Sri Lanka Women), 64 (South Africa Women) and 73 not out (Bangladesh Women) respectively in Women’s ODIs. She continued her form in May 2017 with her Women’s ODI scores of 51 not out (vs South Africa Women), 54 (vs South Africa Women) and 62 not out (vs South Africa Women).
Then Indian women’s captain Mithali Raj extended her streak with 71 runs against England in June 2017 during their opening game of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017. In their next match of that competition, Mithali’s incredible streak was finally broken by West Indies Women when she was out on 46 runs.
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