Pakistani star batter Babar Azam has revealed the names of toughest bowlers he has faced in his career, naming former South African pacer Dale Steyn as his biggest challenge.
The former Pakistan captain appeared in a challenge video on former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen’s YouTube channel ‘The Switch’ where he took up a short-ball challenge.
During the interview, Pietersen asked Babar about his toughest battles against fast bowlers.
Babar Azam Reveals The Hardest Bowlers He’s Faced! pic.twitter.com/dcoApVf6Fp
— The Switch | Kevin Pietersen (@kptheswitch) January 14, 2026
“Nowadays, almost every team has pacers who can bowl at speeds above 150 kilometres per hour,” Babar responded, going on to recall his first tour of South Africa where he faced Steyn.
Babar described the experience as demanding, saying Steyn’s deliveries were both fast and difficult to play. “Playing that innings gave me a lot of confidence,” Babar said.
“After facing Dale Steyn, one of the fastest bowlers in the world, I felt I could face any bowler.”
He also praised South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, saying, “Kagiso Rabada is one of the finest bowlers across all formats.”
Babar is the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals with 4,429 runs in 136 matches at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 128.45.
He also shares the record for the most half-centuries in T20Is with India’s Virat Kohli, having scored 38 fifties.
Babar is currently playing for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and has so far scored 154 runs in eight matches with two fifties, maintaining a strike rate of 104.05 and an average of 25.66.
He is also expected to return to the national T20 side for the 2026 World Cup next month.