ODI Rankings: Basit Ali Accuses ICC of Targeting Babar Azam

ODI ranking (WBBL) 2023, the Karen Rolton Oval hosted two matches. In both instances, the teams that batted first emerged victorious. Analyzing the second innings of these games reveals that the Melbourne Stars managed to score just 29 runs, while the Brisbane Heat achieved a total of 89 runs. This discrepancy highlights a significant trend: […]

August 20, 2024




ODI Rankings: Basit Ali Accuses ICC of Targeting Babar Azam

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ODI ranking (WBBL) 2023, the Karen Rolton Oval hosted two matches. In both instances, the teams that batted first emerged victorious. Analyzing the second innings of these games reveals that the Melbourne Stars managed to score just 29 runs, while the Brisbane Heat achieved a total of 89 runs. This discrepancy highlights a significant trend: batting first on this pitch has proven advantageous.

The playing surface at the Karen Rolton Oval clearly favored batting. This created a strategic advantage for the team winning the toss, who were likely to choose to bat first. A target set between the range of 160 to 170 runs would have posed a challenging task for any team aiming to chase it down.

Such a target would require solid batting performances and careful approach, emphasizing the importance of making runs upfront in the game. The statistics from the earlier matches indicate that scoring runs in the first innings is crucial for success here. The overall dynamics of the pitch and the match results suggest that captains should consider batting first if they win the toss, as it can significantly impact the game’s outcome.

Current ODI Rankings

As per the latest rankings:

  • Babar Azam is the top-ranked ODI batter with 824 rating points.
  • Rohit Sharma follows him with 765 rating points.
  • Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli are ranked third and fourth, with 763 and 746 rating points, respectively.

Basit’s Concerns

Basit Ali has raised significant doubts about the legitimacy of the current One Day International (ODI) rankings. He has serious reservations about the criteria the International Cricket Council (ICC) uses to determine these rankings. Ali questions how transparent and fair this process really is. This skepticism suggests that he believes the ICC may not have the best intentions for all players involved. He implies that the governing body could be purposely minimizing Babar Azam’s chances of success, indicating a lack of support for him to reach his full potential in international cricket.

Ali expressed his surprise upon seeing Azam ranked at the top of the ICC ODI rankings. In his view, the placement of players does not reflect their current abilities or contributions to the sport accurately. Rohit Sharma is positioned in the second spot, while Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli follow closely behind in third and fourth, respectively. However, Ali was disheartened when he did not see Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra on the list. His decision not to check the remaining rankings shows his frustration and lack of confidence in the overall validity of the rankings. This situation highlights the ongoing debate about fairness and the selection process within cricket’s governing bodies.

Performance vs. Ranking

Basit noted that players like Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra had outstanding performances in the 2023 World Cup but must be reflected in the rankings.

“Babar Azam’s last significant ODI was last year’s World Cup. Meanwhile, players like Rachin Ravindra, Quinton de Kock, and Travis Head scored multiple centuries in the tournament,” he added.

In the recent matches of the World Cup, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman stood out for Pakistan by each scoring impressive centuries. Their performances showcased their skills and contributed significantly to the team’s efforts. In contrast, Babar Azam, the captain of the team, struggled to find his form throughout the tournament. He did not manage to record a single century during the World Cup matches. The last time he reached this milestone was in the Asia Cup, where he scored a century against Nepal. This inconsistency in his performance was surprising given his established reputation as a top batsman in international cricket.

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Criticism of ICC

Basit concluded that the ICC’s rankings seem unfair and questioned the credibility of the ranking system.

“The ICC seems to be biased against Azam. If you asked Babar himself, he would probably name Travis Head or Virat Kohli as the top batter, not himself,” he said.

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