On Wednesday, the new ICC Men’s Test Rankings revealed that Babar Azam, the talented hitter who leads Pakistan’s cricket team, has improved his rating in the format after his team defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 in the long format. The captain of Pakistan has moved up two ranks to number four. Above him are Steve Smith of Australia, Joe Root of England, and Kane Williamson of New Zealand. Read complete details about Babar Azam’s Secured 3rd Position in the Latest Test Ranking below!
Babar Azam Secured 3rd Position in Latest Test Ranking
The recent conclusion of the Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia saw Babar, who scored just 76 runs, benefitting from the demotion of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne of Australia. Labuschagne (328) and Head (362) retained their rankings in the Ashes Test series but were ranked seventh and eighth, respectively. So, after taking six wickets in two Test matches against Sri Lanka, Shaheen Shah Afridi has moved up three spots to sixth.
Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel of Pakistan are now ranked 15th and 21st, respectively. In their own backyard, both batsmen achieved their first double century against Sri Lanka. Following his country’s Ashes series win, Australia’s Steve Steve Smith shot up to third place. Joe Root of England (412), who scored the third-most runs in the Ashes Tests, took second place.
With a ranking of 883, Kane Williamson of New Zealand, who last participated in a Test match in March of this year, continued to hold the top spot. Williamson was injured during the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. Also, it is unlikely that he will play in the 2018 World Cup. With a rating of 879, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is ranked highest among bowlers. His countryman Ravindra Jadeja advanced to the third rank.
