ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former skipper for all formats, Babar Azam, has reclaimed the number one position in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen, dethroning India’s Shubman Gill.
As per ICC rankings, Babar has 824 points, 14 more than the Indian opener’s 810.
“Babar Azam reclaims the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said on X.
Babar climbed the top slot following more than a month of Gill’s rule and after the latter was rested for the ongoing Proteas series.
Babar last month stepped down as cricket captain in all formats of the game, days after the Green Shirts crashed out of the World Cup in India.
The announcement came after days of speculation in media and cricketing circles that he would either resign or be sacked following the team’s failure to reach the semifinals with five defeats — including a seven-wicket mauling by India in front of more than 100,000 fans — and four wins. The team also lost to Afghanistan for the first time.
Babar was particularly under fire for the poor show of a team that was ranked the world’s top ODI side before the tournament.
This was the fifth time in the last six World Cups that Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals.
“Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in the cricket world,” Babar wrote on X, saying he had reached the number 1 spot in the white-ball format due to the “collective” efforts of players, coaches, management and passionate Pakistan cricket fans.
Babar was appointed T20I and ODI captain in 2019 before eventually captaining the Test side since 2020.
“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call,” the batter said.
“I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication.”Babar is widely regarded as one of the finest batters in contemporary world cricket and until recently was the only cricketer in the world to be in the top five rankings across all formats.
With 42 wins, he is the joint most successful T20I captain of all time.
