Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has joined cricketing royalty, with his bat now adorning the iconic Long Room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It will boast bats donated by icons such as Brian Lara, Jack Hobbs, David Boon, and Don Bradman.
MCG management specially invited Azam and requested him to contribute the bat used by him during Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup final clash against England, on which he agreed.
The much-acclaimed batter reflected on the honouree as he said playing at the MCG, one of the most celebrated cricket venues in the world, is deeply personal. Back home, in a cricket-crazy country like Pakistan, every piece of equipment used by its captain during a big final is a subject of interest for the fans. “Honestly, it is an honour for me, and this means a lot to me because I played a World Cup final using this bat,” Azam said after donating his equipment at MCG long room on Friday.
“I have lots of fond memories here at the MCG […], it is one of the best grounds of my career. To have my bat placed here alongside those of great players is really an honour.”
It is a gesture that echoes through cricket history at the MCG to which famous cricketers of Australia and other countries have contributed their bats to this exhibit. Additionally, he recently relinquished the reins as the white-ball captain of Pakistan to his fellow player, Mohammad Rizwan. He was also not selected in Pakistan’s test team for the two Test matches against England.
