According to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) latest rankings, Pakistan batsmen are now in the top two spots in Twenty20 Internationals and One-day Internationals for the first time.
Captain Babar Azam (ODIs) and Imam-ul-Haq (compatriot opener) are in the first and second positions, respectively. They are behind Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and fourth respectively.
The 26-year old Imam was the top scorer in the recent three-match ODI series against West Indies in Multan. He scored 199 runs (three full-centuries), averaging 66.33.
The right-handed Babar of the series totaled 181 with the aid of one century and half-century. This averaged 181.
After taking three wickets in two matches against the Caribbean team in Multan, Shaheen Shah-Afridi, Pakistan’s pace leader, is now fourth on the list. Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is now number two on the list, which is led by Trent Boult, New Zealand’s pace merchant.
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In T20 International rankings, Babar and wicket-keeper/batsman Mohammad Rizwan are occupying the first and second spots, respectively with 818 and 794 points.
Babar, a 27-year-old batter, is fourth in Test rankings with 815 points. Shaheen is fourth in Test bowling rankings with 827 points.
Hazlewood is the world’s number one bowler in T20 Internationals. Indian opener Ishan Kirshan cracks into the top 10, while Joe Root, an experienced England batsman, is back at the top ICC Men’s Test player rankings. Joe Root has scored a second consecutive century in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against New Zealand.
Root, 31, who was within striking distance from Marnus Labuschagne in the first Test, has retaken the top spot. He now leads Australia by five rating points. Root now has 897 points, 20 points less than his 917 highest score.
Root, a right-handed man, first claimed the number one spot in August 2015. He was last there in December 2021 when Labuschagne surpassed him. Root has been at the top of Tests for 163 consecutive days. In recent years, Steve Smith (1.506 days), Kohli (469 day) and Kane Williamson (245 day) have all had significant vigils at top.
