Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali Lashed Out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) after Babar Azam was given the top spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings. Azam has not played an ODI since November 2023, but still retained his top spot. Basit Ali shared his views on the latest rankings and said that ICC doesn’t want Babar to perform and kept him on the top.
Basit Ali Is Upset With ICC for Giving Babar Azam the Top Spot
Basit Ali on his YouTube channel, questioned the criteria behind deciding the rankings and highlighted the absence of great batters like Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra.
“When I saw the ICC ranking, Babar Azam was at the top, number two was Rohit Sharma, number three was Shubman Gill, and then there was Virat Kohli at number four. I did not find it necessary to read the remaining names because I couldn’t see Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra. I think the ICC wants that Babar doesn’t perform. He would be happy with being the number one-ranked batter in ODIs. Who gives these rankings? On what basis are Babar Azam and Shubman Gill there,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma Moved Up To The Second Spot
Rohit Sharma’s sudden jump was fueled by his great performance in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Rohit was the top scorer with 157 runs, this included two half-centuries with an average of 52.33 and a strike rate of 141.44.
Nissanka from Sri Lanka also moved up to the 8th spot, Sri Lanka ended a 27-year losing streak against India in their ODI series, securing their first victory over them since 1997. Kusal Mendis advanced five positions to tie for 39th, while Avishka Fernando climbed 20 spots to 68th in the latest rankings for 50-over batters.
