Rawalpindi [Pakistan], November 15 (ANI): Babar Azam reflected on his hard times and thanked fans for the unwavering support after he managed to end the 807-day-long century drought in international cricket as scored his 20th ODI century in the second match of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka on November 15 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

As per ESPNcricinfo, Babar expressed gratitude to fans for standing by him during a difficult phase and acknowledged the nationwide support he received, saying it gave him confidence through tough times. Reflecting on recent performances, Babar noted that while he had been getting starts, he struggled to convert them into big scores.

'The amount of support I got from my fans, not just in Islamabad but everywhere, was great. I got support everywhere in Pakistan and it gave me a huge boost. The fans, they never deserted me in my hard times. It's in those hard times that you work out who your true allies are. I got starts in the previous series but I couldn't convert them into big runs,' said Babar Azam.

He said that the key lesson he would share with young players going through a rough patch is to maintain self-belief. He noted that motivation comes and goes, but hard work and discipline are essential.

'The advice I'd give to any youngster who's stuck in bad form is belief. You can motivate yourself for a few days but hard work and dedication needs to be there every day. It was a tough time. But I backed myself, worked on what I needed to improve, as well as my fitness. In the end, it's about belief. These things will go on in your life and you can get stuck in a negative thought process, asking why it's all happening to me. But you need to stick to your plan and believe that you'll get your reward,' he added.

Babar said that scoring runs naturally boosts confidence, and despite the long gap between centuries, he never stopped trusting his abilities. He admitted that difficult moments bring many doubts and lots of advice from different coaches, but the real challenge is figuring out what truly works for you.

'Whenever you score runs, your confidence goes to a different level. It's been a long period, but I backed myself and never compromised on my hard work. I believed in myself, and that's the most important thing. Lots of thoughts come into your mind about what's happening to you. Lots of coaches talk to you and give you various kinds of advice. Then you have to assess what is working for you,' said Babar.

'These are people who have been with me since I was a child, and they know everything about what I require. The time hasn't been easy, and so I'm grateful to them. But ultimately, you have to back yourself. People, coaches, and everyone else can just tell you. You have to do it yourself, so self-belief is paramount,' he concluded.

In the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI of the three-match series, Pakistan chose to bowl first and restricted Sri Lanka to 288/8 despite a steady start from Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara. Key contributions from Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga helped the visitors post a competitive total of 288-8 in 50 overs.

Chasing 289, Pakistan's openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub provided a solid platform with a 77-run partnership. Babar then anchored the innings, adding a 100-run stand with Fakhar and then an unbeaten 112-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan. His century off 115 balls guided Pakistan to a comfortable win in 48.2 overs. (ANI)