DUBAI – Pakistan batsman Babar Azam has registered gains in T20I and Test rankings issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday.
The right-hand batsman jumped one spot to sixth in the T20I rankings. South Africa dasher Reeza Hendricks (up six rungs to equal ninth) also make ground on the rankings for T20I batters, while Bangladesh’s biggest mover is Mahedi Hasan as he gains 18 places to improve to 23rd for T20I bowlers.
However, Travis Head stood at the top spot followed by Phil Salt and India’s Tilak Varma at second and third positions respectively.
Meanwhile, a West Indies spinner has become the new No.1 ranked T20I bowler for the first time as the race to be the premier Test batter took yet another twist on the latest ICC Men’s Player Rankings.
Left-armer Akeal Hosein climbs to the top of the tree for T20I bowlers on the back of his two-wicket haul for the West Indies in the opening match of their ongoing series against Bangladesh, with his spell of 2/13 helping the spinner improve three places to take the No.1 spot.
In Test rankings, Babar Azam jumped one place to 17 in Test batters rankings while Saud Shakeel stood at 10th place without any change.
England veteran Joe Root regains his place as the No.1 ranked Test batter following scores of 32 and 54 during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, while teammate Harry Brook moves back to second after a pair of failures in the same contest following his brief one-week sojourn at the top.
