Babar Azam slips out of the top 10 in ICC Test batsmen rankings; Joe Root nears career-best rating points

Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has slipped out of the top ten in the latest ICC Test batter rankings for the first time in five years.

This change comes after Babar Azam's disappointing performance with the bat during the recently concluded two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home.

The right-handed batter has come under scrutiny following his disappointing performances. The batter scored just 64 runs from four innings against Bangladesh.

He hasn't scored a century since December 2022. Babar Azam last scored his half-century 16 innings ago in the longer international format.

Babar Azam Slips Out Of Top 10 In ICC Latest Test Batter Rankings

Babar Azam moved down to 12th position in the ICC Test Batting Rankings. Azam, who was previously ranked ninth, dropped out of the top 10.

Mohammad Rizwan is now the highest-ranked Pakistan batter. The wicketkeeper-batter remains in 10th position after his 294 runs in the series.

Vice-captain Saud Shakeel dropped to 20th place in the rankings, while opening batter Abdullah Shafique fell to 42nd.

Shaheen Afridi also dropped out of the top ten in the bowling rankings. He holds 11th place with 709 rating points. Currently, no Pakistani bowlers are in the top 10.

Bangladesh wicketkeeper batter Litton Das, who scored an impressive 138-run knock in the second Test, moved up to 15th in the Test batting rankings.

All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was named Player of the Series, climbed to 75th in the batting rankings and 7th in the all-rounders' list.

Joe Root Inches Closer To Career-Best In Test Batter Rankings

Joe Root has retained the top spot in the latest ICC Test batting rankings following his consecutive centuries against Sri Lanka at Lord's.

He leads by 63 points over second-ranked Kane Williamson. Root is nearing his career-best rating and remains the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year.

Joe Root also surpassed former England skipper Alastair Cook's record for the most centuries by an England player.

Root has completed 34 centuries for England in Test cricket. In 2024, Root has amassed 961 runs in 10 matches at an average of 60.06, including four centuries and four half-centuries.

Gus Atkinson, who scored a century and took a five-wicket haul in the Lord's Test, has moved to 20th in the all-rounders' rankings and entered the top 30 among bowlers.

Kamindu Mendis has climbed to 25th in the batters' rankings, and Asitha Fernando has entered the top 10 in the bowlers' rankings.

Rohit Sharma (6), Yashasvi Jaiswal (7), and Virat Kohli (8) are the three Indian players in the top 10 batter's rankings.

They will have a chance to improve their positions during the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home, which is scheduled to begin on September 19 in Chennai.

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