Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has sparked a debate by expressing serious concerns about the current ICC ODI Rankings, where Babar Azam is the top-ranked batter.
In a recent video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit questioned the legitimacy of these rankings, especially the positions of Babar Azam and Shubman Gill.
Babar Azam ODI Ranking
Currently, Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Babar Azam, holds the top spot in the rankings with 824 rating points. India’s Rohit Sharma follows closely in second place with 765 points, while Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli occupy the third and fourth positions with 763 and 746 points, respectively.
Basit Ali, however, is not convinced. He cheekily suggested that the ICC might have ulterior motives for keeping Babar Azam at the top.
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“I think the ICC wants Babar to stay 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 questioned.
Performance vs. Ranking
Basit Ali did not hold back in his criticism, particularly regarding Babar’s recent performances. He pointed out that Babar’s last ODI appearance was during last year’s World Cup, where he failed to score a century.
Instead, Basit praised the performances of other batters like Rachin Ravindra, Quinton de Kock, Travis Head, and Virat Kohli, who delivered outstanding performances during the tournament.
“Babar’s last ODI was at last year’s World Cup. We saw Rachin Ravindra, Quinton de Kock, Travis Head, and Virat Kohli at the World Cup. They scored three-four hundreds in the tournament,” Basit stated.
“For Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman scored a century each. Babar Azam did not score a single hundred. His last hundred came against Nepal in the Asia Cup. What kind of ranking do they give?” Basit argued.
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Is ICC Babar’s Enemy?
In a bold claim, Basit Ali suggested that the ICC might be acting as Babar Azam’s adversary. He even speculated that Babar himself might not consider himself the world’s best ODI batsman at present.
“The people at ICC are Babar Azam’s enemies. If you asked Babar who is the current number one, he would also pick Travis Head or Virat Kohli. Even he wouldn’t say that he is the number one,” he concluded.
Basit Ali’s comments have certainly stirred the pot, raising questions about how the ICC determines its rankings and whether they truly reflect current performance. While rankings can often be subjective, the conversation highlights the ongoing debate about who deserves the top spot in the world of ODI cricket.
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