ISLAMABAD: On the occasion of Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day on Sunday, skipper Babar Azam was named among the recipients of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the country’s third-highest civilian honour.
At 27, the batter will be the youngest Pakistani to earn the honour, while national women’s team captain Bismah Maroof will receive the Tamgha-e-Pakistan. Babar leads the International Cricket Council’s One-day International and Twenty20 batting rankings and is third in the Test standings.
Babar, who is from Lahore, has an ODI average of 59.2 and has averaged more than 45 in Tests and T20s. Bismah, a 118-ODI and 117-T20 veteran, on the other hand, has inspired a generation of aspiring female cricketers to continue playing and leading Pakistan after becoming a mother.
The left-handed hitter, who is also from Lahore, has scored over 5000 runs in both formats.According to the President’s office, up to 253 Pakistani people will get civilian awards this year.
