Babar Azam's bat on display alongside cricket legends at MCG

Babar Azam poses with his bat in the bat gallery of MCG cricket legends. – Reporter — Babar Azam poses with his bat in the bat gallery of the MCG cricket legends. – Reporter

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has earned a place among cricketing greats, with his bat now proudly on display in the esteemed Long Room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The MCG Long Room exhibition features bats donated by icons such as Don Bradman, David Boon, Jack Hobbs and Brian Lara.

The MCG management extended a special invitation to Azam and asked him for the bat he used during Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup Final against England, which he accepted.

Reflecting on the honour, the acclaimed batsman said playing at the MCG, one of the world’s most celebrated cricket venues, has deep personal meaning.

“Honestly, it’s an honor for me, and this means a lot to me because I played a World Cup final with this bat,” Azam said after donating his equipment at the MCG Long Room on Friday.

“I have a lot of great memories here at the MCG (…) it’s one of the best grounds of my career. It’s a real privilege to have my bat here alongside those of great players.”

His gesture resonates with the cricketing history at the MCG, where legendary cricketers from Australia and other countries contributed their bats to the exhibition.

Babar recently stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain and was replaced by Mohammad Rizwan. He was also dropped from the Pakistan Test squad for the two Tests against England.