The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced their latest rankings list for players, which features impressive improvements for many players from Pakistan in the T20Is and Tests.
India’s Ishan Kishan held the No.1 position in the batting order of the T20I series, while Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan took the third spot.
England’s Jacob Bethell advanced to 8th while Suryakumar Yadav of India fell five places to 13th.
Afghanistan bowler Rashid Khan remains on top of the T20I bowling chart. Abrar Ahmed is in second place, Mohammad Nawaz at 12th position and Salman Mirza at 20th position.
Bumrah, the Indian bowler, has retained the top spot in the Test rankings while Pakistan spinner Noman Ali is ranked seventh.
Travis Head remains at top in Test rankings. Pakistan test captain Babar Azam is in 19th position while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is in 18th.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain and former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has supported Babar Azam to stay on as the captain of the Pakistan Test team on a long-term basis, saying that the leadership changes are more harmful than beneficial.
The PCB restored Babar to the captaincy of the national Test team, for Pakistan’s next tour of the West Indies and England.
Read more: Babar Azam appointed as Pakistan’s new test captain
On his official YouTube channel, Ramiz emphasised that Babar’s ability to lead the team will significantly rely on his batting abilities in the game.
He added that Babar’s name goes hand-in-hand with his batting and that he should always find a way to score big numbers when he is at the helm.
Babar Azam should get more playing time on the pitch as he is the best batsman on this side and should be able to score big runs consistently.
He also damages his reputation when he does not perform well, Ramiz said, suggesting that the PCB should have stability and not have different captains every few games.
Also read: Babar Azam deserves long-term run as Test skipper, says former star
