Pakistan's Babar Azam hits 'magnificent' 114 in Somerset T20 Blast

Pakistan's shining cricket star Babar Azam on Wednesday hit a "magnificent" 114 runs in the English county's Twenty20 Blast, earning praise from his teammates and the club.

According to an update on the Somerset County cricket club's Twitter account, the team ended "with 183/3 from 20 overs".

"Magnificent from Babar Azam (114* from 62) and Lewis Goldsworthy on debut (38* from 29)," Somerset added.

Babar Azam — ranked among the top T20 batters — rejoined Somerset for this year's domestic T20 Blast, the county had announced last month. He was the leading run-scorer in the 2019 edition.

Currently captaining Pakistan in their T20 series in England after featuring in all three Tests earlier in the tour, the cricketer had agreed to return to southwest club Somerset before the coronavirus pandemic upended cricket schedules around the world.

Somerset end with 183/3 from 20 overs!!! Magnificent from Babar Azam (114* from 62) and Lewis Goldsworthy on debut (38* from 29)

LIVE STREAM -> https://t.co/dF6GhNA901#GLAMvSOM#WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/H10KGAVBsc

— Somerset Cricket ? (@SomersetCCC) September 16, 2020

The 25-year-old is playing Somerset's final seven group matches plus the knockout stages should they qualify.

"He is a great player, is so easy on the eye and fitted brilliantly into our environment last year," Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry said about the Pakistani star, who had compiled 578 runs at an impressive average of 52.54 in his first season with the county.

"We consider Babar to be one of our own," Hurry had said last month.

The cricketer was toppled by England's Dawid Malan as the top T20 international (T20I) batter in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) batting rankings earlier this month, pushing Azam to the second position.

Australia's Aaron Finch and Colin Munro, as well as India's Lokesh Rahul, remained in the top five positions.