Babar Azam soars to career-best spot in ODI rankings

Pips New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson to eighth position

Pakistan opener Babar Azam and all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez moved up in the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI rankings following their impressive showings in the recently-concluded ODI series against the West Indies, which Pakistan won 2-1.

Azam’s scores of 13, 125 not out and 16 in the series helped him gain one position as he reached his career-best eighth rank pipping New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson to the spot.

Hafeez, meanwhile, moved up six places to get back into the top 20 following his good run with the bat in the ODI series where he managed to score 88, 32 and 81.

On the other hand, all-rounder Imad Wasim gained eight positions to reach a career-best 89th ranking.

In the bowlers’ rankings, Hafeez gained 10 slots to reach 27th position with his three wickets in the series which also allowed him to move ahead of Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi to second position in the all-rounders’ rankings.

Pace bowler Hasan Ali, who took six wickets in the series including a haul of five for 38 in the second ODI, has gained 14 places to move up to 34th position, while Mohammad Amir (up 12 places to 38th) and Imad (up seven places to 39th) have attained career-best rankings.

Meanwhile, Pakistan failed to capitalize on the chance to strengthen their case for direct qualification for the 2019 ICC World Cup by winning the series 2-1.

The Men in Green only gained a single point where they could have added three points to the total and could have marginally gone ahead of seventh-placed Bangladesh. However, the result leaves them on 90 points with the West Indies on 83.

England and the seven other top teams on September 30, 2017 will qualify directly for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 with the remaining four teams getting a second chance through a 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifying tournament in 2018.

 

 

ICC ODI rankings

1          South Africa      119

2          Australia           118

3          New Zealand     113

4          India                 112

5          England            108

6          Sri Lanka          98

7          Bangladesh       92

8          Pakistan           90 (+1)

9          West Indies       83 (-1)

10        Afghanistan      52

11        Zimbabwe         48

12        Ireland              42