DUBAI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s match-saving knock in the second Test against Australia has pushed to the fifth spot in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) batter rankings.

The performance, which saw the 27-year-old score 196 runs off 425 deliveries over almost two days in the fourth innings against the visiting Aussies at the National Stadium, has earned Babar a gain of three spots.

Wicket-keeper/batter Mohammad Rizwan, who also scored an unbeaten hundred in the historic Test, has also taken a massive leap of six spots to be joint No. 11 with Australian opener David Warner.

Warner’s opening partner Khawaja, who scored 160 and 44 not out in Karachi moved up 11 spots to No.13.

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite is another big mover, gaining sixteen spots up to No.27 after scoring 160 and 56* in the second Test against England in Barbados.

In the bowling charts, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has moved down one spot to No.6 after struggling in the Karachi Test, picking up only two wickets in the match. Mitchell Starc, who claimed three victims in the first innings moved up one place to No.15.

In the all-rounders’ chart, West Indies’ Jason Holder has dropped down to No.2 after struggling during the Barbados Test. Holder picked up only one wicket and aggregated 12 runs in the match.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins moved up one spot to No.8 after bagging three wickets and scoring 34 not out in the first innings of the Karachi Test.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2022