Pakistan Ace Batter Babar Azam Set To Make ILT20 Debut With Desert Vipers
Dubai: Babar Azam is set to play in the International League T20 (ILT20) for the first time after Desert Vipers signed the Pakistan batter for USD 80,000 at the recent players’ auction in Dubai.
The franchise announced the signing of Babar through a social media post, which immediately caught the attention of cricket fans around the world.
Babar was placed among the 18 Global Cricket Icons, the highest category at the auction, where each player carried a starting price of USD 80,000. The Vipers entered the bidding for the Pakistan batter, and no other team came forward to challenge it.
The 31-year-old will now join the Vipers after becoming their latest Pakistan signing. Babar has played 143 T20Is for Pakistan and joins several other players from his country who have previously featured for the franchise in the ILT20.
Babar has also played in several major franchise T20 leagues around the world. From Big Bash League to Caribbean Premier League, he has performed in different tournaments, which is why signing him was a no brainer for the Desert Vipers.
Talking about the stats, Babar Azam has featured in 359 T20 matches so far, scoring 12,493 runs at an average of 42.78 and a strike rate of 129.04. His record in the format also includes 13 centuries and 101 fifties.
Desert Vipers have also continued their links with other Pakistani players by signing two more from the same category. Experienced top-order batter Fakhar Zaman and fast bowler Naseem Shah were also picked in the recent auction for USD 80,000 each.
It should be noted that Naseem and Fakhar are not new to the Desert Vipers, as both have played for the franchise before. Naseem has featured in eight matches, while Fakhar has made 21 appearances for the team.
Meanwhile, Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq was also part of the top category at the auction but could not attract a bid at his USD 80,000 starting price. The 28-year-old could still find a team when the accelerated round gets underway.
For the unversed, the upcoming ILT20 season is set to run for nearly a month. The tournament will start from November 22 and will run until December 20, in which top T20 stars from around the world will be seen in action.
