Despite not breaking through to the national team earlier, Babar made sure his name was always in the reckoning by consistently being among the wickets.
In the inaugural Pakistan Super League in 2016 he along with Grant Elliot set the highest 10th wicket partnership in any form of T20(63)[2][3] He was the leading wicket-taker for Water and Power Development Authority in the 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, with thirty-one dismissals in six matches.
[4] Babar made his T20I debut on 27 July 2013, against West Indies, being one of the oldest Pakistani players to do so, aged 34 years 229 days.
[7] He made his One Day International debut for Pakistan against Australia in the United Arab Emirates on 7 October 2014.
Babar is the son of former Pakistani international footballer, Abdul Ghaffar, who played one game for Pakistan.