LONDON, Nov. 12 (Lord Media): Former England fast bowler James Anderson has named Pakistan batter Babar Azam as his favorite Pakistani cricketer in a video for TNT Sports’ Cricket coverage.

In the video, Anderson selected his favorite cricketer from several countries, choosing Shane Warne for Australia, Joe Root for England, Virat Kohli for India, Tim Southee for New Zealand, AB de Villiers for South Africa and Sanath Jayasuriya for Sri Lanka.

Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, reached 700 Test wickets in March 2024 before ending his international career in July that year after his 188th and final Test against the West Indies at Lord’s.

The 44-year-old continued playing for Lancashire and captained the county’s red-ball side in 2026, taking 50 wickets at an average of 17.68 during the summer. Lancashire finished seventh among eight teams in the second division.

Lancashire confirmed on Oct. 25 that the county would not offer Anderson a new contract for 2027, ending his 25-year association with his home county. Anderson said the departure was not the ending he had wanted but has not announced his retirement.

Babar, meanwhile, has faced a difficult run of form in recent months. The Pakistan batter scored 118 runs in four matches during the recent tri-series and was dismissed for a duck in the final against Sri Lanka.

Babar has not scored an international century since November 2025, when he registered his 20th ODI hundred against Sri Lanka. He also scored 91 runs in five innings at the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf has urged Babar to seek specialized coaching in England or Australia to address technical weaknesses. Babar scored 42 for Lahore Whites in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on Nov. 6 before striking his bat against the pitch after his dismissal.

However, Babar was the leading run-scorer in the 2026 Pakistan Super League, finishing the tournament with 588 runs. LORD