ICC ODI ranking: Babar loses second spot for first time in four years

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday released its updated One-Day International (ODI) batting rankings, with Pakistan’s seasoned batter Babar Azam dropping to third place, the first time since 2020 that he has been outside the top two.

Babar struggled in the recent ODI series against the West Indies, failing to score a single half-century. His highest score was 47 in the opening match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Friday, while he was dismissed for a duck and nine runs in the remaining two games.

In the latest rankings, India’s ODI captain Rohit Sharma climbed to second place despite not playing any recent matches, while Babar slipped to third.

The updated ICC lists also brought disappointment for Pakistan in the T20I format, with no Men in Green making the top positions. Indian batters dominated the chart, with Abhishek Sharma taking the top spot in T20Is.  The Indian team also retained the lead at the top of the ODI rankings, boasting a rating of 124 points after playing 36 matches.

ICC ODI team ranking

Pakistan fell one spot to fifth position in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s one-day international (ODI) team rankings, following a series of mixed results.

The new rankings show Pakistan holding as rating of 102 points based on 34 matches played. This marks a dip from their previous position, ceded to Sri Lanka who climbed to fourth with a rating of 103 from 39 matches.

ICC T20I team ranking

In the updated men’s T20I batting rankings, left-handed batter Saim Ayub jumped from 63rd to 38th, while right-handed batter Hassan Nawaz climbed from 54th to 30^th.

Other teams’ ODI standing

Trailing India closely, New Zealand and Australia share second and third position respectively, both with a rating of 109. New Zealand’s 38 matches played compare to Australia’s 32 indicate the ongoing tussle for higher placement between the two cricketing neighbours.

Sri Lanka’s ascent to the fourth spot hints at a betterment in form. Pakistan’s marginal slide to fifth, however, signals the need for greater consistency to reclaim lost ground.

South Africa maintained its steady position at sixth with a rating of 96, while England and Bangladesh hold eighth and tenths places respectively.

The West Indies also improved their ranking, rising to ninth with a rating of 78 after 34 matches.