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Babar Azam retains top spot in latest ICC T20 rankings

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Pakistan skipper Babar Azam managed to retain his top spot in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I batter rankings, as Indian stars made giant strides.

In the latest rankings released Wednesday, India’s Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant were among the biggest movers as the race for the top ranking hots up ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

India defeated West Indies 4-1 in the recently concluded T20I series, with Iyer and Pant playing important roles in the triumph.

Iyer jumped six places to 19th overall batter rankings after hitting an impressive half-ton during the final match of the series in Florida, while Pant finished the series as the equal second leading run-scorer on 115 runs, with his quickfire 44 in the fourth match seeing the left-hander jump seven places to 59th.

Currently, Babar is placed at the top with 818 rating points, however, India’s Suryakumar Yadav is not far behind as he has 805 rating points. Last week, he stood at 816 points, just two points shy of Babar.

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Securing a single ODI victory in Australia would be a significant achievement. Wasim Akram

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Renowned fast bowler Wasim Akram has stated that the forthcoming ODI series against Australia presents a significant challenge for the Pakistan cricket team under the newly appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.

The wicket-keeper batsman succeeded Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain following Azam’s resignation from the position earlier this month, in an effort to concentrate more on his playing responsibilities.

Mohammad Rizwan will commence his captaincy with the three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning on November 4.

Rizwan, who commenced his white-ball cricket career in 2015, has participated in 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is, accumulating 5,401 runs, including four hundreds, and has had 143 dismissals as a wicketkeeper.

Rizwan will assume the role of Pakistan’s 31st captain as he leads the side in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November. He will be the 12th individual to captain Pakistan in the T20I format during the inaugural match in Brisbane on 14 November.

During an online press conference from Melbourne, Wasim Akram emphasized Rizwan’s potential as captain, referencing his leadership experience.

Rizwan is a seasoned campaigner. According to Akram, he has captained throughout his life, guiding the Multan Sultans in the PSL to one championship and two finals. “In terms of leadership, he is an experienced strategist.”

Nevertheless, the former skipper underscored the difficulty of competing against Australia in their home environment, especially in ODI cricket.

“This is his inaugural tour as captain, and it is a challenging one.” Defeating Australia on their own soil, particularly in ODI cricket, is a formidable challenge,” he remarked.

“In T20I cricket, there exists a possibility; however, Australia is a formidable opponent in ODI cricket.”

Wasim advised the Pakistan players to focus on executing high-quality cricket, emphasizing that securing even a single ODI victory under these conditions would be a significant achievement for the team.

“They ought to concentrate solely on cricket and strive for success against Australia.” Securing even a single ODI victory out of three in Australia would be significant,” he stated.

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“He must demonstrate that he is Viv Richards.” Regarding Babar Azam, Ramiz Raja

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High expectations were set for star batsman Babar Azam by former Pakistan Test cricketer and PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, who said he should demonstrate his potential like Sir Vivian Richards.

Babar is now going through a difficult time. The ace batsman’s string of poor showings in the longest format also led to his exclusion from the final two Test matches of the just finished three-match series against England.

Although Babar has amassed 3,997 runs at a respectable average of 43.92 in 55 Test matches, he hasn’t reached a half-century in the format since 2022.

Babar Azam’s numbers in white-ball cricket were praised by Ramiz Raja, who pointed out that he needs to work harder in the longest format given his red-ball statistics.

Citing the legend’s propensity to perform well in pivotal games, he further counseled the star batter to demonstrate he is Sir Vivian Richards through his disposition.

“I think Babar needs to do much more in Test cricket. His average in both T20I and ODI is over fifty, and he excels at the white-ball format.On his YouTube channel, Raja stated, “Babar Azam has a lot of potential.”

He must now demonstrate to the world that he is Vivian Richards by his attitude. “The more innings Richards used to play, the bigger the contest,” he continued.

For those who are unaware, Babar Azam is presently touring Australia for the three-match ODI and T20I series.

With 271 runs needed to reach 6000, the star batter is about to reach a significant ODI milestone.

Additionally, he has a good chance of breaking the record held by South African great Hashim Amla for the fastest journey to 6000 ODI runs.

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Regarding Gary Kirsten’s resignation as head coach of Pakistan, Ramiz Raja said, “It’s not great news.”

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The sudden resignation of Gary Kirsten as head coach of the white-ball cricket team has prompted a warning from Ramiz Raja, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In April 2024, Kirsten was appointed by the cricket board for a two-year term. He did, however, leave the position on October 28 after only six months.

During Pakistan’s four-match T20I series against England in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, the South African took the lead.

Pakistan lost the series against England and were eliminated from the T20 World Cup group stage while he was the white-ball head coach.

Kirsten’s resignation, according to the sources, followed his arguments with the cricket board on central contracts and white-ball teams for the forthcoming tour of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Notably, in the past, the selection committee included voting members who were head coaches and captains of the various versions.

Nevertheless, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) restructured the selection committee after Pakistan’s crushing loss to England in the first Test match, eliminating the coach and captain from the process. This did not sit well with Gary Kirsten.

In a statement to the media, Ramiz Raja predicted that the cricket board will have trouble in the future recruiting elite international coaches.

“Hiring international talent won’t be an easy, straightforward task for Pakistan, especially when you consider the kind of backlash that Gary Kirsten’s resignation is likely to cause,” Ramiz stated.

It is imperative that you provide clarity regarding the role to the person you have engaged and involved. Gary Kirsten may or may not have received that clarity.

Pakistan needed an experienced hand, therefore her departure is not good news. Just before a tour, it doesn’t appear very well from a distance.

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