Pakistan’s T20 captain, Babar Azam, has dropped six places in the ICC Test batter rankings following a disappointing showing in the recent Test match against Bangladesh. The International Cricket Council (ICC) reported on Wednesday that Azam, who was ranked third, has now slipped to ninth.
During the Test in Rawalpindi, Azam managed scores of just 0 and 22. Pakistan lost the match by 10 wickets, marking Bangladesh’s first-ever Test victory against Pakistan.
“Babar drops six places from equal third to ninth after a rare failure in the first innings against Bangladesh,” the ICC report said.
Despite the setback for Azam, there was some positive news for Pakistan. Wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Rizwan rose seven places to reach a career-best 10th spot in the rankings. Rizwan’s impressive 171* and 51 in the Test match boosted his position.
The ICC highlighted that Babar is now only six points ahead of Rizwan, while vice-captain Saud Shakeel, following his century in the same match, moved up one spot to 13th.
The second Test of the series will be played in Rawalpindi from August 30 to September 3, with Bangladesh leading the two-match series 1-0.
