Babar Azam drops three places in ICC ranking amid T20I return rumours

Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam dropped three spots in the ICC T20I ranking amid rumours about his return to the T20I side.

The right-handed batter slipped from the 14th spot to 17th amid his absence from the national squad in the shorter format.

Mohammad Rizwan, who has also been excluded from the T20I squad, also dropped in the latest ICC ranking.

The wicketkeeping batter also dropped three spots to sit in 19th place in the ICC T20I ranking.

Babar Azam, the most-capped Pakistan captain with 55 matches, was excluded from the T20I side after the side’s dismal outing in the T20 World Cup 2024 under his leadership.

He last featured in a T20I for Pakistan in December 2024 against South Africa.

The former Pakistan captain was then left out of the squads for two T20I series against New Zealand in March 2025 and later against Bangladesh.

However, unverified reports about his potential comeback to the national side began making rounds after opening batter Fakhar Zaman was ruled out of the ongoing West Indies tour.

According to reports, Babar Azam was being considered to replace Fakhar in the T20 squad if he fails his fitness Test.

Several reports suggested that the former Pakistan captain might return to the Pakistan T20I squad for the upcoming tri-nation series with the UAE and Afghanistan.

As per the reports, the 30-year-old batter could also be a strong contender to replace Fakhar Zaman in the national squad for the Asia Cup 2025.

However, it was suggested that his selection will depend on his performance in the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies.

Babar Azam is part of the ODI squad for the three-match away series against West Indies.

The first game of the series is scheduled for August 8 at the iconic Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad.

The Men in Green will then face the hosts on August 10 in the second game, while the third and final Pakistan vs West Indies ODI will be held on August 12.