Babar Azam Cricket Academy Opens in Lahore
The Babar Azam Cricket Academy has opened in Lahore, named after the father who first took him to the nets as a boy.
The academy is called the Azaam Cricket Academy, in honour of Azam Siddiqui. Reports say it will train young cricketers, with a focus on batting, as Babar looks to pass on what he has learned at the top of the game.
The move carries personal meaning for Pakistan’s Test captain. He has often credited his father with keeping his cricket dream alive, and the academy puts his father’s name on the next stage of that story.
A father’s role in a cricket career
Babar has spoken before about his father’s part in his rise. Azam Siddiqui took his son to grounds across Lahore, watched his matches and guided him on his batting. He enrolled Babar in a local cricket club, giving him the first structured coaching of his career.
From there, Babar trained at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore and played for Pakistan at Under-19 level. He made his international debut against Zimbabwe in 2015, and has since played for Pakistan in all three formats.
He has also captained the national side, including leading Pakistan to the final of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Few Pakistani cricketers of his generation have carried as much expectation, and few have stayed at the top for as long.
The academy and the timing
The academy opens while Babar is leading Pakistan in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. He scored 50 in the opening Test in Rawalpindi on November 9, sharing a 69-run partnership with debutant Mohammad Taha.
Taha, who made 51 on debut, later credited Babar with helping him settle at the crease in his first international innings. It was the kind of guidance the academy aims to offer on a wider scale.
The first Test has already produced a headline debut, with Saqib Khan taking seven wickets in his first Test innings. Pakistan made 281 for five on the first day, and the second Test has been moved to Rawalpindi because of smog in Lahore.
The series has put the spotlight on young players, which makes the timing of the academy launch easy to understand.
Why the Babar Azam Cricket Academy matters for Pakistan
Pakistan has no shortage of raw talent. What it has often lacked is a steady path from street cricket to the professional game. Private academies run by former and current players have filled part of that gap, giving young cricketers regular coaching, proper nets and match practice.
A Babar Azam academy carries weight because of who he is. Young batters in Lahore will want to train where the national captain trains, and parents will trust a name they know. If the academy keeps its standards high, it could become a regular source of players for age-group cricket.
The challenge is the same one every academy faces: turning early promise into finished cricketers. Good coaching helps, but so do fitness work, match temperament and time. The academy will be judged over years, not weeks.
Pakistan’s age-group system has been producing results. Pakistan reached the final of the U19 Asia Cup, where they will face India, and Shaun Tait has taken over as head coach of Lahore Qalandars for the next PSL season. The pipeline matters, and academies are part of it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the name of Babar Azam’s academy?
It is called the Azaam Cricket Academy, named after his father, Azam Siddiqui.
Where is the academy?
The academy is in Lahore, where Babar grew up and learned the game.
What will the academy teach?
It aims to train young cricketers, particularly aspiring batters, drawing on Babar’s experience at international level.
When did Babar make his international debut?
He made his debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 2015, after playing at Under-19 level and training at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
