Babar Azam Stands Alone As Pakistan Faces ODI Ranking Setback

Pakistan’s cricket team is facing a tough time, and the latest ICC ODI rankings highlight their struggles. The team’s performance in the Champions Trophy 2025 and the tri-nation series has led to significant drops for several players.

Babar Azam remains Pakistan’s best batter but is losing ground.
Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, and Saim Ayub have all dropped in rankings.
Pakistan has no other batter in the top 100.
Shubman Gill retains No.1 spot, Virat Kohli moves to 4th place.
Pakistan’s bowling attack, including Rauf and Naseem, is struggling.

Pakistan’s ODI Ranking Nightmare

The batting lineup has failed to deliver, and the bowlers have struggled to make an impact. Fakhar Zaman, who returned for the tri-series, played just one match before injury ruled him out. As a result, he fell from 17th to 19th place with 621 points.

Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s ODI captain, also slipped to 21st place with 616 points due to inconsistent performances. Meanwhile, Imam-ul-Haq retained his 32nd spot, but others have suffered major setbacks. Saim Ayub, who missed the Champions Trophy due to injury, dropped to 37th place with 572 points, while vice-captain Salman Ali Agha fell to 46th place. Shockingly, no other Pakistan batter is ranked in the top 100, showing their declining dominance.

Babar Azam Holds On As Gill & Kohli Rise

Despite Pakistan’s struggles, Babar Azam remains their best-ranked batter at No.2, but his position is under threat. With 770 points, he is closely followed by Heinrich Klaasen of South Africa, who is at No.3 with 760 points.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill continues his reign at No.1, cementing his status as one of the world’s best. Virat Kohli has climbed to 4th place, proving his consistency with a brilliant knock in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia.

Pakistan’s Bowling Struggles Worsen

Pakistan’s bowling, once their biggest strength, is also facing a decline.

Shaheen Afridi remains at No.9, but his expensive spells in key matches have hurt his ranking.
Haris Rauf took the biggest hit, falling to 24th place after a series of poor performances.
Naseem Shah dropped to 43rd place, while mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed slipped to 50th place.

These rankings reflect Pakistan’s struggles on the international stage, with both their batting and bowling departments failing to deliver.

Pakistan’s Path to Recovery

To regain their position in world cricket, Pakistan’s batters need to step up and deliver consistent performances. Babar Azam must maintain his dominance, while other senior players must take responsibility. The bowling unit also needs to sharpen its skills to bounce back in upcoming tournaments.