Babar Azam
Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has slipped out of the ICC Men’s T20I top 10 batting rankings for the first time in eight years, marking a significant moment in his otherwise consistent international career.
The right-handed batsman dropped three spots and is now ranked 12th in the world, just ahead of teammate Mohammad Rizwan, who has also seen a drop in form and rankings.
Babar’s descent in the rankings comes amid a period of transition for Pakistan cricket. He was dropped from the national T20I squad earlier this year under new captain Agha Salman. His last appearance in T20 Internationals came in January, during which he hit three consecutive fifties against South Africa. However, he struggled in the subsequent series against the West Indies, failing to score in double digits in the first three innings.
Despite a strong showing in the domestic Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he amassed 288 runs at an average of 36.00 and a strike-rate of 128.57, it wasn’t enough to maintain his place among the ICC’s top 10 T20I batters.
Senior teammates Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman have also seen their rankings slip. Rizwan dropped one place to 13th, while Fakhar Zaman faced a significant fall, plummeting 10 places to 87th with a rating of 406 points.
On the brighter side, Pakistan’s recent 3-0 whitewash over Bangladesh in the T20I series has positively impacted several young and emerging players in the ICC rankings. The biggest leap came from explosive opener Mohammad Haris, who jumped an astounding 210 places to reach 30th in the batting rankings with 580 points. His standout performance included the second-fastest T20I century by a Pakistani in the series finale.
Middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz also made a strong impression, climbing 57 places to 45th with 540 points. Promising youngster Saim Ayub, who made a notable contribution in the third T20I, rose four spots to 61st with 485 points. Captain Agha Salman, who led from the front and scored 90 runs across the series, jumped 42 places to 75th, now sitting at 430 points.
In the bowling department, Abbas Afridi’s impactful performances earned him a rise of 18 places to the 19th position with 605 rating points. Vice-captain Shadab Khan surged 24 places to 59th, sharing the spot with mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, who himself made a 45-place leap.
However, not all players benefitted from the rankings update. Fast bowlers Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Afridi saw drops in their positions, now standing at 94th, 83rd, 19th, and 36th respectively.
Globally, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy continues to hold the top position among bowlers, with West Indies’ Akeal Hosein and India’s Varun Chakaravarthy occupying second and third spots, respectively.
The latest ICC update signals a changing of the guard in Pakistan’s T20I setup, as a new generation of players steps up while seasoned veterans face challenges in maintaining their international dominance.
