Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam Slip in ICC ODI Rankings as Other Pakistan Players Rise in the latest update released by the International Cricket Council (ICC), reflecting mixed fortunes for Pakistan’s top cricketers in the 50-over format. Newly appointed ODI captain Shaheen Afridi and star batter Babar Azam both experienced ranking drops, while several of their teammates made impressive gains.
In the batting category, Babar Azam slid one position to fifth place, now holding 728 rating points. However, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and opener Fakhar Zaman each advanced a spot, moving up to 23rd and 26th positions respectively. Middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha made the biggest leap, soaring nine places to reach 30th after his crucial innings against South Africa in the opening match of the ongoing series.
Meanwhile, opener Imam-ul-Haq dropped one place to 42nd, and young left-hander Saim Ayub maintained his ranking at 53rd with 509 points. At the top of the global batting table, India’s Rohit Sharma remains number one, followed by Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran in second. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell climbed two places to third, pushing India’s Shubman Gill down to fourth.
On the bowling front, Shaheen Afridi slipped one place to 15th with 587 points, while fellow pacer Naseem Shah surged ten spots to 33rd after his recent standout performances. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed also continued his upward trajectory, moving to 37th, and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz advanced three spots to 69th with 436 points.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan continues to dominate the ODI bowling charts, followed by South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in second place. England’s Jofra Archer climbed to third, surpassing Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana, who now sits in fourth.