Babar Azam has clinched the top spot in the latest ICC Men’s T20 International (T20I) Batting Rankings, according to a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“In the rankings that were announced last week, England’s Dawid Malan (831 points) led Babar (820 points) by 11 points. Since the last announcement, Babar has notched up half-centuries against Afghanistan (51) and Namibia (70), whereas Dawid Malan had scores of eight against Australia and six against Sri Lanka in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” the statement said.
“Contrasting performances in the past week has meant Babar has turned the 11-point deficit into a 36-point lead over Malan. As such, Babar is now the only batter to sit inside the 800-point mark on 834 points, while Malan has slipped to 798 points.”
The PCB statement went on to reveal that it was the sixth time that the Pakistan captain has topped the T20I batting charts.
“It is a good little motivation to be back on top of the T20I rankings. But the bigger picture is that these performances have helped Pakistan to rise to No 2 and become the first side to qualify for the semifinals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021,” the statement read.
Azam went on to add that “Our focus firmly remains to maintain the standards we have set in this competition and finish the tournament like we have started so that we can properly celebrate [the] team and individual achievements”
The PCB further stated that Azam’s return to the top ranking came in the same week as Pakistan led India into the second position of the T20I rankings after their five-wicket victory over Afghanistan.
“The champion batter is already ranked No 1 in ODIs (one day internationals) and seventh in Tests, which is a testament to his talent, skill and consistent performance across all formats,” the PCB statement said about Azam.
It is pertinent to note that Babar Azam overtook Indian captain Virat Kohli to become the number one-ranked ODI batsman in the world in April, while usurping another record from Kohli, becoming the fastest cricket player to reach the milestone of 2,000 runs in the T20I format, having accomplished the feat in just 52 innings compared to the Indian captain’s 56.
The same year, in May, Azam was voted the ICC’s Men’s Player of the Month for April 2021.
The PCB statement also revealed that Mohammad Rizwan was merely two points away from breaking into the top three of the T20I batting rankings.
