Fakhar, Abbas make gains as Pakistan players suffer T20I rankings slump

DUBAI: Pakistan T20I players endured a major rankings dip in the latest ICC update released on Wednesday, with only Fakhar Zaman and Abbas Afridi making minor gains amid an otherwise forgettable run in Bangladesh.

The rankings slump comes on the back of Pakistan’s dismal showing in the ongoing three-match T20I series in Mirpur, where the visitors have already lost the first two games of the series.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris, who managed just four runs across both matches, fell 20 spots to 50th with 514 rating points.

Struggling opener Saim Ayub also slipped three places to 64th after scoring just seven runs in two outings.

Middle-order batter Hassan Nawaz, who registered back-to-back ducks, tumbled 22 positions to 68th in the batting charts.

Moreover, skipper Salman Ali Agha’s lean patch continued, with just 12 runs from 32 balls costing him an 18-place drop to 93rd.

Meanwhile, senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both missing the series, dropped one spot each, now placed 13th and 14th respectively.

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However, Fakhar Zaman provided a rare bright spot for Pakistan in the ICC T20I batting rankings, climbing eight places to 79th after a composed 44-run knock in the opening game.

In the bowling department, pacer Abbas Afridi, who took three wickets in two matches, slipped two spots to 22nd place with 608 points.

However, he also made significant contributions with the bat, scoring 22 and 19 runs, which allowed him to rise 26 places to 45th in the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.

Haris Rauf, sidelined due to injury, dropped four places to 24th, while Shaheen Afridi, also absent from the squad, fell two places to 36th.

Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed made the biggest leap in the bowling rankings, moving up 12 places to 49th after a steady performance.

Globally, Australia’s Travis Head retained the top spot in T20I batting rankings, with India’s Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma at second and third respectively.

In the bowling rankings, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy remains No. 1, followed by England’s Adil Rashid and India’s Varun Chakaravarthy.

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