LONDON: Pakistan captain Babar Azam has stormed into the top five of the ICC Test rankings for batters after his record-breaking 196 against Australia in the second Test in Karachi.
Batting for almost two days, Babar’s marathon knock helped Pakistan pull off a sensational draw and keep the series level.
The innings helped Babar gain three spots, moving up to No.5 in the rankings chart. In the process, he leapfrogged Australia’s Travis Head, India captain Rohit Sharma and Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.
Other star performers with the bat from the same match – Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khawaja – have also taken massive a massive leap. Rizwan has moved up six spots, to be joint No.11 alongside David Warner after his knock of 104* in the second innings. Usman Khawaja, who scored 160 and 44* in Karachi, moves up eleven 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 (not out) in the second Test against England in Barbados.
In the bowling charts, Shaheen 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 picked up three scalps in the first innings moves up one place to No.15.
