Sports Desk
DUBAI: Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan have made notable gains in the latest ICC ODI rankings after delivering standout performances in the team’s emphatic 3-0 series victory over Sri Lanka.
In the updated batters rankings, Babar climbed one position to claim sixth place with 722 rating points, while Salman Ali Agha maintained his 16th position.
Rizwan enjoyed a significant rise, jumping five places to 22nd. Opener Fakhar Zaman has also benefited from the series, moving up five spots to 26th with 589 points.
Meanwhile, other Pakistani batters saw a decline. Opener Saim Ayub dropped three places to 38th, while left-handed batter Imam-ul-Haq slipped seven spots to 54th with 516 points.
In a major shake-up at the top, former Indian captain Rohit Sharma has been dethroned as the number one ODI batter, with New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell claiming the top spot.
Sharma now sits second, Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran dropped to third, and the Indian duo of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli hold the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
In the bowlers’ rankings, Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed makes a remarkable jump of 11 places to enter the top 10, now sitting ninth with 624 points.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi drops five spots to 21st, while right-arm pacer Haris Rauf climbs five places to 23rd with 562 points.
Another pacer, Naseem Shah, falls three places to 36th, whereas Mohammad Wasim Jr makes a massive leap of 20 spots to 64th. Spinner Mohammad Nawaz, however, slips seven places to 71st.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan continues to dominate as the number one ODI bowler, followed by England’s Jofra Archer in second and South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in third.
