Babar Azam Scores Fifty Against England; Waits Nearly Four Years for Test Century

Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored a half-century in the third Test against England at Edgbaston on Friday, providing relief after a difficult start to the series. The fifty followed poor performances at Lord's, where he managed scores of 8 and 6 in two innings, followed by a 7 in Pakistan's first innings at Edgbaston.

However, the bigger concern remains Babar's extended century drought. His last Test hundred came in December 2022 against New Zealand in Karachi—nearly four years ago. During that 2022 season, he scored 1,184 Test runs across four centuries. Since 2023, his form has deteriorated sharply, with 1,050 runs across 20 Tests at an average of 29.16 and no centuries, compared to his 2016-2022 record of 3,645 runs at 49.25 average with nine centuries.