Babar Azam sets sights on World Test Championship milestone in Bangladesh series

Pakistan's star batter, Babar Azam, is on the brink of achieving a significant milestone in the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh. 

The 29-year-old, who has been a consistent performer in the World Test Championship (WTC), is just 339 runs away from joining the prestigious 3,000-run club.

Babar has already amassed 2,661 runs in WTC matches, making him the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in the competition. If he manages to score the required runs during the series, he will become only the fifth player in WTC history to reach the 3,000-run mark. 

This feat would place him among cricketing elites, joining the likes of England’s Joe Root, who tops the list with 4,598 runs, and Australia's Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Most Runs in WTC History:

• Joe Root (England): 4,598 runs in 55 matches
• Marnus Labuschagne (Australia): 3,904 runs in 45 matches
• Steve Smith (Australia): 3,486 runs in 45 matches
• Ben Stokes (England): 3,101 runs in 48 matches
• Usman Khawaja (Australia): 2,686 runs in 32 matches
• Babar Azam (Pakistan): 2,661 runs in 29 matches

Babar currently leads the run-scoring chart for Pakistan, ahead of India's Rohit Sharma (2,552) and Virat Kohli (2,235), showcasing his importance in the longest format of the game.

The first Test of the series will begin on August 21 in Rawalpindi, followed by the second Test in Karachi on August 30. 

Pakistan Test Squad:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed (not in the first Test), Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam (not in the first Test), Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi.