Ramiz Raja: “Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are the superstars of Pakistan cricket. They pull the crowds in Pakistan”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has called Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan “the superstars of Pakistan cricket” as they bring in the crowds.
Both Azam and Rizwan have been consistent run-scorers for the men in green across all three formats over the last few years.
Recently, Rizwan captained Pakistan in their three-match ODI series against New Zealand and made 72 runs at an average of 24.
Azam, meanwhile, finished with 129 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 43.
Following the New Zealand tour, Rizwan led the Multan Sultans in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and scored 367 runs in 10 games, which included a century and a fifty, at an average of 52.42 and a strike-rate of 139.54.
Azam was in charge of the Peshawar Zalmi and accumulated 288 runs in 10 matches, which included three fifties, at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 128.57.
“Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are the superstars of Pakistan cricket. They pull the crowds in Pakistan,” Ramiz was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After PSL 10 ended, Pakistan took on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series, but neither Azam nor Rizwan were picked in the squad.
The men in green won the series 3-0.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper) and Saim Ayub