Babar Azam has reclaimed the number-one ranking in the ICC Men’s Player Rankings for T20I Batsmen for the third time this year after hitting two half-centuries in Pakistan’s 3-0 series win over Australia. The series result means Pakistan cannot be displaced from the top spot irrespective of the outcome of their upcoming series against New Zealand as well as the one between India and the Windies.
Babar’s series aggregate of 163 runs with a strike-rate of a little over 117 has helped him leapfrog Australia captain Aaron Finch, who managed just four runs in three matches, Lokesh Rahul of India and New Zealand’s Colin Munro into the coveted number-one position.
Babar now leads second-ranked Finch by five points after the Australian started the series with a commanding 126 points lead over the Pakistani. From this series, Babar earned 79 points while Finch conceded 52 points.
Babar, who captained Pakistan at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012, had topped the batting charts for the first time in his career in January following the series against New Zealand. He then regained the top spot following the home series against the Windies in April. Both the times, he lost the No.1 ranking to Finch.
In the ICC Men’s Player Rankings for T20I Bowlers, England’s wrist spinner Adil Rashid and Australia fast bowler Billy Stanlake have achieved career-high rankings, while Pakistan’s Imad Wasim has also made a return to the top-10. Imad has been rewarded for his four wickets with a gain of 14 places that has put him in 10th position.
Outside the top-10, Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf has jumped 18 places to a career-best 16th ranking and Hasan Ali has risen eight places to a career-high 21st position.
The 3-0 win has earned Pakistan four points, which have lifted them to 136 points, while Australia have dropped five points and are now on 118 points, just ahead of England on decimal points.
Courtesy: ICC
