LAHORE – Pakistan’s star batters Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan suffered blows in the latest ICC player rankings amid a challenging period for some of the country’s biggest cricketing names.
International Cricket Council (ICC) released its updated rankings for Test, ODI, and T20I cricket, with several Pakistani players witnessing significant movement across formats.
In Test batting rankings, former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan have each slipped one place. Rizwan dropped to 19th, while star batter Babar now holds 20th position followig recent struggles to show impactful performances in Red Ball format.
Meanwhile, England’s batting maestro Joe Root has surged back to the summit of the ICC Test batting rankings, reaffirming his dominance on the international stage.
Pakistan’s Test bowling also gets disappointing numbers as left-arm spinner Noman Ali dropped from sixth to seventh in rankings, while New Zealand pace spearhead Matt Henry has climbed to the No. 1 spot. Henry’s remarkable rise makes him only the third New Zealand bowler in the last 36 years to top the ICC Test bowling rankings.
In 50-over format, Babar Azam retained his sixth position in the ODI batting rankings, while New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell continues to lead the world as the No. 1 ODI batter. Abrar Ahmed currently holding second place in the ODI bowling rankings, while Shaheen Shah Afridi maintained his eighth position, underlining the team’s strength with the ball despite batting concerns.
In T20Is, Pakistan’s emerging stars continued to impress. Sahibzada Farhan retained his third-place ranking among T20I batters, while Abrar Ahmed also remained third in the bowling rankings, cementing his status as one of the format’s leading spinners.
The only setback in the shortest format came for Mohammad Nawaz, who slipped one place to 12th in the T20I bowling rankings, resulting in a minor reshuffle among Pakistan’s highest-ranked players.
Babar Azam enters record books with major milestone in second Test against Bangladesh
