Babar Azam slips in T20Is, Root holds top Test spot in ICC rankings

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Babar Azam

England’s Joe Root continues to dominate the ICC Test batsmen rankings as the International Cricket Council (ICC) released its latest update on player standings across formats.

Root retained his number one position in the Test batting rankings, with New Zealand’s Kane Williamson holding firm at second. England’s Harry Brook climbed to third, surpassing Australia’s Steve Smith, who now occupies the fourth spot.

South Africa’s skipper Temba Bavuma moved up one position to claim fifth, while Pakistan’s middle-order batter Saud Shakeel maintained his place at 12th.

In the Test bowling rankings, India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continues to lead the charts, followed by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Australia’s Pat Cummins in second and third respectively. Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Nouman Ali also held on to his fifth position, reinforcing his steady rise in the format.

All-rounder rankings in the longer format remained unchanged, with India’s Ravindra Jadeja maintaining the top spot.

In One-Day Internationals (ODIs), India’s Shubman Gill held on to the top spot among batsmen, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam stood close behind at second. Sri Lanka’s Mahesh Theekshana remained the number one ODI bowler. However, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi slipped one place and now ranks 12th.

Meanwhile, in the T20 format, India’s Abhishek Sharma made a significant leap to become the number one ranked batsman. Australia’s Travis Head climbed to second after earlier slipping down the order. Pakistan’s Babar Azam fell one spot to 14th, and Mohammad Rizwan dropped two places to 16th.

Among T20 bowlers, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy retained his number one position, while no Pakistani bowler featured in the top 20 — highlighting a concerning trend for the national side in the shortest format.