Babar Azam slips out of top 20 in ICC Test rankings

Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam has crashed out of the top 20 in the latest ICC Test rankings, highlighting his ongoing challenges in red-ball cricket.

England batter Joe Root retained his spot at the top of the ICC Test batting rankings, followed by his teammate Harry Brook at No.2.

Veteran New Zealand’s Kane Williamson is third in the rankings.

Batter Saud Shakeel remains the only Pakistan batter in the top 10, as he occupies the 10th spot, tied with Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, both having 739 rating points.

Babar Azam, who remained a mainstay in the top 10 for years, has dropped out of the top 20 in the latest ICC rankings for the first time in recent years.

He currently sits in the 21st spot with 651 rating points, having seen a decline in his batting performance in recent times.

The former Pakistan captain scored 193 runs across four innings during the away series against South Africa, including three half-centuries.

However, Babar Azam’s form dipped in the home Test series against the West Indies, where he could only score 45 runs in four innings.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan retained his 14th spot with 671 points, showing no movement.

It is worth noting here that Babar Azam, along with wicketkeeping batter Mohammad Rizwan, was excluded from the Pakistan T20 squad for the New Zealand series after their dismal outing for the side in the Champions Trophy 2025.

The two senior players, however, were part of the Pakistan ODI squad for the New Zealand tour.