Babar Azam moves up in ICC test rankings

In the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Test batsmen rankings, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has moved up to the fourth position after the conclusion of a one-off Test match between England and Ireland.

Despite Joe Root’s commendable performance in the one inning he played during the aforementioned Test, where he scored 56 runs, he experienced a slight drop in his rating points.

Root’s rating points decreased from 871 to 861, causing him to slip to the fifth position in the rankings. In the meantime, Babar Azam managed to surpass Root with 862 rating points, securing the fourth spot in the ICC Test batsmen rankings.

Celebrating a double century was Ollie Pope, jumping 10 places to 23rd (637) as a result, with fellow centurion Ben Duckett moving to 34th (up eight spots) with a rating of 602.

Ireland showed resistance with the bat in response, and a number of players saw jumps in their player rankings as a result. Andy McBrine’s 86* saw him go up 28 places (282 points), with Mark Adair’s 88 (76*) resulting in a 32-spot climb.

Looking forward to the World Test Championship Final at The Oval, the top-ranked Test players of each rankings discipline are set to feature, as well as a number of players poised to move higher.

Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne goes into the winner-takes-all showdown as the top-ranked batter in the world, with teammate Steve Smith in third position, 43 rating points behind Labuschagne’s aggregate of 915.