Babar Azam enters in ODI Top-10 batsmen

DUBAI: Pakistan’s Babar Azam has entered in top-10 ODI batsmen in new ICC Player Rankings after his good display with bat against Australia in recently concluded series.

Azam reached to 10th position in the ICC ranking, which is his career-best. Babar Azam, made century runs against Australia in final ODI at Adelaide with a total of 282 runs in the series, and gained five positions to reach 10th rank.

Team-mate Sharjeel Khan, with his 250 runs in the series, including three half-centuries, have lifted him 35 slots to a career-best 53rd rank.

Mohammad Hafeez, who made his comeback in the national team in Australia series, also managed to reach fifth position in ICC ODI All-rounders Rankings.

No Pakistani bowler managed to enter top 10.

Australian opener David Warner has grabbed the top spot in the Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen with a stupendous run in recent matches.

The attacking left-hander attained the top ranking leapfrogging South Africa’s AB de Villiers and Indian captain Virat Kohli after amassing 367 runs in the five-match home series against Pakistan which his side won by 4-1.

In the ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc has gained two slots to reach second position after finishing with nine wickets in the series against Pakistan, which included a haul of four for 42 in Adelaide. The former top-ranked bowler is now only five points behind New Zealand’s Trent Boult.

Pakistan could not improve its points’ position in a bid to qualify directly for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, even as there was little movement in the team rankings.

Pakistan is in danger of failing to qualify directly for the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over tournament in the United Kingdom as it is sitting at eighth position with 89 points ─ two behind Bangladesh and two ahead of the West Indies.

Host England and the seven highest-ranked sides on the ICC ODI Team Rankings as on 30 September 2017 will qualify directly for the event to be held from May 30 to July 15, 2019.