Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali questions ICC's ODI Rankings system
Former Pakistan cricketer, Basit Ali, has raised concerns over the International Cricket Council's (ICC) One Day International (ODI) Rankings. He questioned how Pakistan's Babar Azam managed to retain his top spot despite not having played an ODI since November 2023. Ali also expressed doubts about the ranking system and suggested that it might be a tactic to pressure Babar. Here's more.
Ali questions Gill's position in ODI Rankings
In addition to his concerns about Azam, Ali also questioned the ranking of India's Shubman Gill. Despite recent struggles, Gill is placed 3rd in the ODI Rankings. This has led Ali to further question the credibility of ICC's ranking system. He expressed these views on his YouTube channel, where he scrutinized the current standings and their implications for player performance.
Ali criticizes exclusion of World Cup performers
Ali also criticized the ICC for excluding standout performers from the 2023 World Cup in their top ranks. He highlighted that players like New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, South Africa's Quinton de Kock, and Australia's Travis Head, who each scored multiple centuries during the tournament, were not recognized in the rankings. This omission has added to his skepticism about the ranking system's fairness and accuracy.
ICC ODI Rankings: Rohit displaces Gill, goes second
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma moved to the number two spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for Batters. Rohit, who had a brilliant three-match series versus Sri Lanka recently, displaced Gill. Rohit is now only behind Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar, who occupies the top spot. Babar tops the ODI Rankings for Batters with 824 rating points. Rohit is next with 765 rating points with Gill placed third (763 rating points).
Gill has solid numbers in ODI cricket
Gill had a poor series versus the Lankans. He managed scores of 16, 35 and 6 across the three matches. He averaged 19 and his strike rate was also abysmal. Overall, Gill has been solid in ODIs. In 47 matches, Gill owns 2,328 runs at an average of 58.20. He has amassed six tons and 13 fifties to date. Gill was the top scorer in ODIs last year, having hammered 1,584 runs at 63.36.
