Senior Pakistan batter Babar Azam took a massive fall in the ICC Test rankings on Wednesday, August 28. From the 3rd position, Babar slipped down 6 places after repeated failures in the red-ball game. The former Pakistan captain is now ranked 9th in the ICC Test batter’s list behind compatriot Mohammad Rizwan, who rose 7 places.
Babar, who failed in the first Test match vs Bangladesh despite playing in home conditions has not scored a century since the Boxing Day Test match in Karachi, in 2022. Babar has not even hit a half-century despite appearing in Test matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The former Pakistan captain has been heavily criticised by fans and experts alike for his form in all formats of the game, but as per Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the country does not have enough talented players to replace or at least provide competition to their national team stars.
“Babar drops a whopping six places to fall from equal third to ninth following a rare failure in the first innings of Pakistan’s Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, with teammate Mohammad Rizwan gaining seven spots and achieving a new career-high rating by moving inside the top 10 at equal 10th following his century in the same match,” the ICC press release said on Wednesday.
England’s Harry Brook gained major places in the Test batters’ rankings on August 28. Brook climbed three places in the list and now stands at 4th place – behind Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Daryl Mitchell. Brook’s rise and Babar’s fall also helped Yashavi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli gain places in the rankings. Jaiswal gained one place and is ranked 7th in the list while Kohli gained two places and is now ranked 8th.
There are three Indians in the top 10 list – Rohit Sharma (6th), Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli.
