Babar Azam might not be enjoying a great run in international cricket, but the Pakistan batter remains one of the most-followed cricketers in the country. The craze for the batting star was evident on his 31st birthday, when Pakistan were playing South Africa in a Test match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
A fan breached security and climbed onto a stand on the first floor of the iconic stadium, then began walking towards the dressing room. The fan, who can be seen gesturing to one of his friends who was recording a video, approached the dressing room and tells members of the support staff that he wants to meet Babar Azam.
Pakistan’s head coach, Azhar Mahmood, can be seen in the video telling the fan to step away and warning him that he should not be anywhere near the dressing room. The fan, however, remained insistent and continued to request a meeting with Babar Azam, who was inside. Mahmood was then seen alerting security, who escorted the fan away from the area surrounding the dressing room.
In another video, a group of fans can be seen calling for Babar to come out of the dressing room. Upon hearing the chants from the stand below, members of Pakistan’s support staff can be seen bringing Babar out. The batting star then waves to his fans, making their day.
Babar celebrated his 31st birthday on Wednesday, 15 October, and it was a double delight for fans as Pakistan began their World Test Championship cycle with a win over world Test champions South Africa in the first of a two-match series at home.
Babar played a crucial knock of 42 in the second innings, at a time when batting conditions in Lahore had become significantly tougher. Pakistan sealed a 93-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Veteran spinner Noman Ali, aged 39, was named Player of the Match after claiming 10 wickets across both innings.
Pakistan’s win, however, was built on strong batting efforts in the first innings, with Imam-ul-Haq (93), Mohammad Rizwan (75), and Salman Ali Agha (93) helping the hosts post a commanding total of 378.
Chasing 277 runs for victory, South Africa were reduced to 55 for 4 before Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton steadied the innings with a 73-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Brevis, tipped to be the next big thing in world cricket, launched a spirited counter-attack but was undone by a superb delivery from left-arm spinner Noman Ali. His dismissal triggered a collapse, with South Africa losing their last six wickets for just 55 runs.
Babar will be looking to make a mark in the Test series after having lost his place in the T20I team. The right-handed batter is part of the ODI team and will be integral to their plans in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup.
