“…and he is certainly one of the top five players in world cricket right now”.

For a while Pakistan had no batsman among the top 10 in any format of cricket, let alone in all three. But a lot has changed since Babar Azam scored a 54 against the touring Zimbabwe side in 2015. His journey from being a ball boy during the South African cricket team’s visit in 2007, to leading his country against the side has been nothing but remarkable.

The recently published book Babar Azam – The Rising Star has been compiled and edited by veteran writer Qamar Ahmed who is well known in cricketing circles as someone who has reported over 450 Tests, 739 ODIs, and nine World Cups. The book features contributions from Shahid Hashmi, Omair Alvi, Ehsan Mani, Rishad Mahmood, Mazhar Arshad and Richard Heller. Published by Liberty Books, the book comes with dozens of pictures of Azam in action and is a great pictorial and statistical insight into Azam’s career till August 2021.

Azam, the current Pakistan team skipper, has risen through the cricketing ranks at a formidable pace. By the time he turned 22, he had led the country in Under 19 World Cups, was part of the First Class circuit, and made his international debut. The book traces and documents Babar’s progress across all levels – school, college, club, province and country. The book blends memoir, anecdote and reportage, providing a rich, insightful and rivetingly readable account of one of the modern greats of cricket.

Every writer in the book starts his piece by remembering the greats from Pakistan cricket. As you read on, you are constantly taken back to the days of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Muhammad Yousaf, Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas. There is a consensus among commentators that Azam is destined to join them; that is, if you believe that he is not there already. It is heartening to read accounts of his father who fully supported him, secretly sneaking in to watch his batting, scolding him for getting out cheaply. Despite having three Test cricketers among his cousins, Azam credits his local coaches for his progress. He says they recognised his talent at an early age and did everything in their capacity to help him flourish and grow. The Pakistan cricket system is often criticised for its failure to nurture and bring forward young talent but reading how Azam received assistance and encouragement is heartening. Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani writes that he had no doubts about Azam’s leadership abilities when he appointed him captain for all three formats.

While the book provides a coherent account of Azam’s journey so far, almost every piece starts in the same manner and covers similar basic facts leading to a bit of repetition. The profile in the final chapter by Richard Heller (author of White on Green) perhaps provides the most in-depth and well-researched analysis.

Overall, it’s a great book for those who want to know the basics about Babar Azam and his journey in becoming one of the foremost cricketers.

Babar Azam

The Rising Star

Edited by: Qamar Ahmed

Publisher: Liberty Publishing (2021)

Pages: 52

Price: Rs 1,295

The reviewer is a digital    communication expert who is   currently working in the public health sector. He is the mastermind behind the digital platform, Sukhan