PAK vs IRE: Despite poor form and heavy criticism, Babar Azam achieves big as ICC rewards him with...

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been in the headlines for a while now. This is because his team hasn't been up to the mark in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 as they faced some thrashing defeats in the tournament against the United States of America and the Indian team.

Apart from this, Babar Azam has come under a lot of scrutiny as well and he has failed to set the stage on fire with the bat. The captain of the team has failed to lead from the front and various experts and fans have lashed out at him for his poor performances in the big tournament, which is underway in the United States of America and Caribbean.

However, amid all this Babar Azam has been rewarded by the International Cricket Council. The Pakistan batter has substantial gains in the ICC T20I rankings for the batters. He has climbed up one spot and is now the new No.3 ranked T20I batter in the world.

Babar Azam made the gains after he scored 43 runs in the game against the United States of America and followed it up with a 13-run knock in the game against India. The Pakistan captain also scored 33 runs off 33 balls against Canada in the T20 World Cup 2024 and helped his team win the game after two back-to-back defeats.

Apart from Babar Azam, England skipper Jos Buttler moved up 2 spots to stand to take up the 5th position. Australia opener Travis Head also made substantial gains as he climbed up 6 spots to make it to the top 10. While India batter Suryakumar Yadav despite bagging two failures retained the top spot.

Mohammad Nabi becomes the new No.1 ranked T20I all-rounder

In terms of rankings for the all-rounders, Mohammad Nabi grabbed the top spot. The Afghanistan all-rounder has been sensational with the bat and ball in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. He climbed up two spots to claim the no.1 rank in the ICC T20I rankings for all-rounders.

Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis also climbed three places to grab the second spot in the ICC T20I rankings for all-rounders. He has been nothing short of exceptional in the ongoing tournament. Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was at the top has been displaced and is now placed at the 5th spot in the rankings. Shakib has failed to make a mark in the T20 World Cup 2024.

In terms of bowling, England leg-spinner Adil Rashid retained the top spot in the rankings. Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga is a second-ranked bowler. Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan after his 4-wicket haul against New Zealand claimed the 3rd spot.

Afghanistan fast bowler Fazlhaq Farooqi, after his five and four-wicket haul in 2 matches also made a huge rise in the ICC rankings for bowlers. He moved up six places to own 4th spot. He is also the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.