Can Babar Azam rise to the number 1 position in the ICC Test batting rankings?

[Bewal Express]

No doubt he will have a spell as no 1 in the rankings but if you are asking if he can be no 1 for a lengthy period, then the answer is no. There are 2 main reasons, one is the lack of quality opposition on a regular basis and his weakness against even average spin.

 

[MenInG]

Inzamam speaking on his YouTube:


“I have seen for a long time that Babar Azam hasn’t scored a hundred. He is the type of player that we like to see regularly score run and hundreds. He should be doing that because he is at his peak right now. I do not like Babar getting out on 70’s or 80’s. He has to play the big knocks and be the role model for the batsmen in the side. This is very important,

“[Mohammad] Rizwan has been performing well and should also be playing big knocks. 20’s and 30’s don’t help you against big sides. I give credit to Fawad Alam who plays big knocks once he gets settled. He takes it to at least three figures which is a very good thing. Other batsmen should also follow suit"

“The tailenders have also been playing well and when we see the series then Pakistan’s bowlers performed really well especially when they were trying to defend a low total. They had aggression and did not give up despite trying to defend a very low total. Pakistan had the match in their hands at one time, but then it went away because of some dropped catches. If you drop catches while defending a low total, it becomes really difficult. Pakistan fielding standard improved greatly in the second Test. Especially Imran took some great catches slip. I have seen someone so good at that position after a long while"

 

[transparent opacity]

In the upcoming series against Bangladesh, he has a chance to improve his ratings. Will he be able to do it, only time will tell.
Currently, he holds 7th spot in ICC rankings.

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam's Test average by year

2018: 56.00
2019: 68.44
2020: 67.60
2021: 29.72

 

[James]

Babar Azam's Test average by year

2018: 56.00
2019: 68.44
2020: 67.60
2021: 29.72

A lean year is normal. Those are some serious numbers in the previous three.

The key is to not have two lean years consecutively.

He's extremely gifted, one can see when Pakistan bats that Babar is the best of their players. He will come good again.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Babar seems to be seriously struggling mentally against spin. He has this hanging over him every time he goes on to bat.

Knowing his pedigree, hunger and desire to be the best, I am sure he will find a way out and start posting good numbers again.

I am afraid I do not see that happening in the 2nd innings of this test against Bangladesh. He is taking on too much pressure at the moment while batting. He has to go away for a few weeks and figure his game out against spin.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Some serious problems for Babar Azam

Last 5 International Innings
T20I vs AUS/ 39(34)
T20I vs BAN/ 7(10)
T20I vs BAN/ 1(5)
T20I vs BAN/ 19(25)
TEST vs BAN/ 10(46)

Last 8 Test Innings
8
0
2
30
55
75
33
10

 

[Rana]

He doesn’t seem hungry enough the way he is in T20s

What a disappointing state of affairs!

 

[shamaan]

Needs to find a way of getting hard runs just like younis khan used to do.Younis Khan needs to teach Babar how to play spin.

 

[TeamPak95]

Babar's had a lean 2021 in tests but I'm not too concerned. Babar's too good to let this get to him, he'll find his feet again.

 

[sindhiboy]

babar probably needs a rest before he can be at his best at tests.

he does need to improve against spin though

 

[Swashbuckler]

Of course.

This batch of Smith, Kohli, KW, Root isn't getting any younger. Rohit, Taylor, Elgar and Warner are 35+ I think.

In 2-3 years time Babar will have a big opportunity to make his move to number one, he will also be in his peak then. His main rival will be Labuschagne, KL Rahul has ability but is a headcase. Karunaratne, Nicholls, Rizwan, Latham, Markram etc don't have that high a ceiling in red ball cricket IMO. Kock, Pant, Stokes can be brilliant when they fire but they lack consistency to rack up the points, they are more about impact.

 

[Rana]

Needs to find a way of getting hard runs just like younis khan used to do.Younis Khan needs to teach Babar how to play spin.

The sweep shot. Doesn’t matter which way the ball is turning, the sweep shot is what YK used to play all the time to counter spin

 

[Unbiased-Fan]

It is very difficult to top Test rankings.
When was the last time when no.1 ranked test batsman was outside Fab Four?

 

[Saj]

Footwork seems unsure against spin which is surprising. Also some bad habits have crept in from the T20 format.

Couple of tweaks and he'll be back.

 

[U$ofA]

babar probably needs a rest before he can be at his best at tests.

he does need to improve against spin though

He can do what Kohli has done. Give up T20I's. But I don't think he will. Also, Pakistan barely play about 6 tests a year. So not many opportunities for him to correct if he fails.

 

[heddie19]

The sweep shot. Doesn’t matter which way the ball is turning, the sweep shot is what YK used to play all the time to counter spin

Couldn't agree more. If not in white ball cricket, he should be playing sweep shot with ease in red ball. Younis Misbah scored thousands of runs against spin using this strategy. De Villiers too.

 

[Kaddy]

The way he is performing recently in test cricket, I am afraid he would be out of top 10 very soon.

Needs to score a century in the second test.

 

[Sycamore]

I feel he's at his best in Tests when he is not focusing on the game situation.

All of his best knocks have been free flowing, at the begining of his test career he was very watchful thus failing, in the middle period he was just batting freely from ball one, now again with the test captaincy he has gone back to being watchful which just doesn't suit him. He's not a grafter like williamson who can absorb 100s of balls, Babar needs to be constantly ticking the strike over.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

He’s far too focused on “stats” in LOIs and being #1 in the rankings.

He needs to start winning matches and playing some clutch knocks in tests

 

[Mobashir]

He is more near to getting out of the top 10 than getting to the top position.
The only "positive" out of his recent test failures is that they are all coming against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

 

[shamaan]

The sweep shot. Doesn’t matter which way the ball is turning, the sweep shot is what YK used to play all the time to counter spin

I just think when it does turn you need to be able to play the sweep to make the bowler think harder and for the field replacements to change.

 

[MenInG]

Looking more composed in this game so far:

 

[raashidkhan89079]

Needs to better against SA and australia which will be tough
Against westindies he will do that easily

 

[Bewal Express]

No, because Babar doesn't play enough against good teams. No doubt he as good as the guys that have made it but Babar is 3 to 4 years behind in his development as a test player because he doesn't get to face quality opposition on a frequent basis

 

[Mobashir]

Will Babar survive the first few overs tomorrow morning! That's one of his main problem in test circket.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Not in near future

 

[Fahdi]

Will Babar survive the first few overs tomorrow morning! That's one of his main problem in test circket.

Remains the big question. Too often he has come out the next day after a well made 50 or so and then gotten out cheaply. Has cost a few tons in his career already.

 

[The_KING]

He has to make a 100 tomorrow. No excuses for him not to make one.

 

[MenInG]

Never seen him play like that!

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[Cover Drive Six]

He is more near to getting out of the top 10 than getting to the top position.
The only "positive" out of his recent test failures is that they are all coming against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Bang on.
He is out of top 10

 

[Major]

The way this guy bats, he ends up giving you hope to pull off the unthinkable. 99% pakistani fans gave up on this match and series because we all know Pakistan doesnt do comebacks in test cricket. Forget Pakistan, even the odds were stacked against us here. But Babars way of batting has given us hope. Not a draw but also a probability of a win.

If we somehow, out of the wildest possibilities pull off a win or even a draw, this guy is going to become a test legend. To even create the probability of a win in this test match was just ridiculous to think of.

Tomr would be a big day that will decide how the future will remember Babar Azam. Will he pull off his best ever test performance for which we all will remember him? Or would the best test innings wait have to continue?

 

[ali_zee]

Undoubtedly one of his best innings in test match cricket till date

 

[shamaan]

Needs to get 150+ and get Pakistan a draw.

 

[Sidilicious]

I must confess, I never thought he was a Fab 4 level test bat.

But if he pulls this off, and he probably will, he will deserve to be added to that list.

His impact in SENA still needs work, but he would have erased questions of taking pressure and scoring big runs in test cricket.

 

[sam_ahm]

This is an innings of highest quality from Babar Azam &#55357;&#56399;&#55357;&#56399;. Kind of knocks that you remember in the long run and define you as a batsman.

 

[Advaith]

Babar Azam ...great going..

 

[shamaan]

Needs to get 150+ and get Pakistan a draw.

Mission complished

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has attained a career-best second position in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after notching two half-centuries in the final Test of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series against England in Karachi.

Babar’s knocks of 78 and 54 have helped him overtake Steve Smith, who managed 36 and six in a low-scoring game between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane. Babar, who is ranked first in ODIs and fourth in T20Is, trails Marnus Labuschagne by 61 points in the Test rankings.

 

[Abdullah]

Not enough of a move to close in on labuschange . Should have got another big hundred and scored 450nruns. Needs a mega couple of tests Vs NZ scoring between 300 and 350 runs and let's see where he gets to

 

[Mamoon]

What a joke. Babar barely makes the top 10 at best. ICC needs to rethink how they do rankings.

Babar & Rizwan 1-2 in T20Is, Babar 2 in Tests. Pure comedy.

 

[MenInG]

Nasser Hussain on Babar Azam in an interview:

"I think he'll end up as Pakistan's all time great. Not just the runs he gets, but the way he gets his runs. In an era where some of batting, not all of batting, is about hitting the ball hard, hitting the ball a long way, I look at (Joe) Root and Babar (Azam) as multi-format players. I look at (Virat) Kohli, (Steve) Smith, (Marnus) Labuschagne, I still look at people who could stroke a cricket ball.

“When they play a shot you sit there and go WOW, whether it be a Babar cover-drive, or Root slog sweep, even a Labuschagne forward defence. Call me boring but I'm an old school of stroking a cricket ball"

“So I love watching Babar play, and he's under immense pressure. He's carrying a batting line-up, in the World T20 I think it was the first I've ever since Babar looked out of nick. I think he'll end up in all-time great, I wish people will cut him a little bit of slack because he'll go through periods when he doesn't get runs, and in this part of the world (subcontinent) you get absolutely vilified. But you won't realise how good Babar Azam is until he's gone because he is that much of a special talent"

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...he-s-gone-naseer-hussain-101671624035231.html