Babar Azam drops a spot in T20I batter rankings, New Zealand players rise | The Express Tribune
New Zealand’s dominant start to their T20I series against Pakistan has propelled several of their players up the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. The Black Caps secured a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, with their revamped top order and bowling attack making an impact.
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, who provided aggressive starts in both games, have been rewarded in the latest rankings update. Seifert jumps 20 spots to joint 13th among T20I batters following scores of 44 and 45, while Allen climbs eight places to 18th after innings of 29* and 38.
Australia’s Travis Head continues to lead the T20I batting rankings, with India’s Abhishek Sharma and England’s Phil Salt following.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam dropped 1 spot to No. 8 after he was dropped from the squad for the New Zealand T20I-leg of the tour.
In the bowling rankings, Jacob Duffy reaches a career-high rating, moving up 23 places to 12th overall after claiming six wickets in the first two matches.
Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, who picked up two wickets in the second game, rises four places to 26th.
West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein remains the top-ranked T20I bowler.
Meanwhile, changes in the latest ODI rankings reflect performances in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in Windhoek.
Netherlands spinner Aryan Dutt moves up two places to joint 33rd among ODI bowlers after successive three-wicket hauls against Namibia, while his teammate Paul van Meekeren climbs six spots to 61st after a three-wicket spell in their latest match.
Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi remains steady at No. 9.
Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus also sees gains, breaking into the top 10 ODI all-rounders after a four-wicket performance against Canada.
He also registered a half-century against the Netherlands last week, moving up two places to joint 10th.
Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai retains the top spot in the all-rounder rankings.
New Zealand will look to maintain their momentum in the remaining T20I matches against Pakistan, while the World Cup League 2 fixtures continue to shape the ODI rankings.
