Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has reclaimed the leading position in the ICC ODI batting rankings, displacing Indian opener Shubman Gill. Gill, currently rested from the ongoing ODI series in South Africa, has witnessed a decrease in points, allowing Babar to regain the No.1 spot with 824 points.
Babar had earlier lost the top position during the 2023 World Cup, where his performance was inconsistent. Despite Gill not meeting expectations, he managed to secure the title of the No.1 ODI batter.
Despite missing the initial matches of the tournament due to dengue, Shubman Gill concluded with 354 runs in nine games at an average of 44.25.
Babar Azam, on the other hand, accumulated 320 runs in nine appearances with four half-centuries, although Pakistan fell short of reaching the semifinals.
After the event in India, Babar stepped down as the captain across all formats. Although he has reclaimed the No.1 spot in the rankings, his tenure might be short-lived since Pakistan is not scheduled to play ODI cricket for the next six months.
Babar Azam’s first Test performance against Australia in Perth is under scrutiny
Babar Azam overtakes Shubman Gill to regain the ICC ODI batting rankings’ top position. The 29-year-old is facing scrutiny for his performance in the current Test series against Australia, managing only 35 runs.
In the Perth Test, he scored 21 and 14 on a challenging pitch, getting dismissed by edging to Alex Carey in both innings, leading to a substantial 360-run defeat for the touring team at the Optus Stadium in four days.
Choosing to bat, Australia posted 487 runs, led by David Warner’s century. Despite Pakistan trailing by 216 runs, Australia extended their lead to 233, setting a challenging target of 450.
Facing tough conditions, Pakistan collapsed to 89, allowing Pat Cummins and the Australian team to secure a 1-0 series lead.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
