Daily Times

LAHORE: In the latest ODI Player Rankings released by the ICC on Monday, Babar Azam has jumped to third in the ODI rankings with 827 points. Babar who was earlier at seventh position had climbed to four spots to attain the third position with 474 runs in the ongoing ICC Men’s World Cup 2019 that included three fifties and one century. Similarly, left handed opening batsman from Lahore Imam-ul-Haq too improved his ranking and is now on 11th position in the ICC ODI Rankings. Imam scored run a ball century against Bangladesh at Lord’s on July 5, last fixture of Pakistan team in the World Cup 2019. Haris Sohail another left-handed batsman, who bats at the middle-order made a considerable improvement in his rankings and has climbed to 36th spot from 56th before the start of the mega event. He has scored 198 runs from five matches with two back to back fifties in the World Cup. All-rounder Imad Wasim retained his number four positon in the ODI all-rounders’ ranking whereas he jumped 17 spots in batting rankings with his 162 runs in five innings at the mega event.

The men in green make an improvement in the bowling department as well. Left arm pacers Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Shah are now ranked at 12th and 23rd position, respectively. Mohammad Amir, who holds 77 wickets in 59 ODI matches, took 17 wickets in nine matches with best figure of five for 30 against Australia. On the other hand Shaheen Shah Afridi, the youngest bowler to take five-wicket haul at World Cup stage, was star of Pakistan’s bowling line in the last three matches of the campaign, Shaheen claimed 16 wickets in the World Cup 2019 including best bowling figures by a Pakistani in a World Cup game (6-36) against Bangladesh at Lord’s. Wrist spinner Shadab Khan, who joined the squad after recovering from illness just before the World Cup, has gained 594 points to claim 25th spot on the ICC ODI Ranking for Bowlers. In ICC ODI Team Rankings, Pakistan are on number six with 98 points.