Babar Azam retains top position in ICC ODI rankings 

DUBAI – Pakistani captain Babar Azam retained the top position after the International Cricket Council (ICC) updated its ODI batting rankings on Wednesday.

Azam, who was named ICC Cricketer of the Year (2022) last week, is on top with a rating of 887.

South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen, who scored highest 149 runs in first two matches of three-ODI home series against England, retained second position on the table.

David Warner gained the third position followed by Quinton de Kock and Imam-ul-Haq at fourth and fifth position, respectively.

Mohammad Siraj of India, who rose to number one position for the first time, remained at the top slot with a rating of 729.

In T20Is, India’s Suryakumar Yadav is in first rank followed by Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and New Zealand’s Devon Conway in second and third respectively. Pakistani skipper Azam is on fourth position in T20Is.

Afghanistan’s ace spinner Rashid Khan is leading the T20I bowling rankings with a rating of 698. No Pakistani bowler is in top 10 T20I rankings for bowlers. 

Last month, Babar Azam won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year (2022) and ICC ODI Player of the Year 2022 awards.

He scored 2598 runs in 44 matches at an average of 54.12 with eight centuries and 15 half-centuries in 2022.

For the second time in a row, a player from Pakistan has received Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy with Shaheen Afridi winning it for his performances in 2021. 

Earlier, Azam was also named captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2022.