The third-highest civilian honor in Pakistan, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, was given to captain Babar Azam on Thursday, making him the youngest recipient of the honor.
At a ceremony for investiture conducted at the Punjab Governor House as part of Pakistan Day celebrations, Governor Baligh Ur Rehman presented the award to Babar, the all-format captain of Pakistan.
As a result of receiving the honor, Babar, who is 28 years old, has broken the record for being the youngest individual to receive the Sitara-e-Imtiaz for sporting accomplishments.
As the youngest recipient of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who succeeded Babar, previously held the title.
At the Governor House in Karachi in 2018, then-Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair presented the honor to Sarfaraz, who had led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy victory in 2017.
On August 14 of last year, the administration announced that Babar would receive the nation’s third-highest civilian accolade.
In May 2015, Babar played his first game of international cricket against Zimbabwe. In 2016, his performances ultimately resulted in debuts in T20Is and Tests.
Babar has scored 3,696 runs at an average of 48.63 in 47 Test matches and 4,813 runs at an average of 59.41 in 95 One Day Internationals. Babar has 3,355 runs with a 41.41 average in 99 T20Is.
In his ongoing cricket career, Babar has received numerous honors, including the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year. Under his leadership, Pakistan defeated India in a world cup match for the first time, and they also advanced to the finals of the most recent T20 global championship.
Other cricketers who have earned the award in addition to Babar and Sarfaraz are Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, and Shahid Afridi for their exceptional contributions.
While Saeed Ajmal earned the honor in 2015, Inzamam ul Haq in 2005, and Javed Miandad in 1992, Mohammad Yousuf received it in 2011.
