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Babar Azam's performance in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia helped the Pakistan skipper retain top spot in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for batting. Another star from that series was opener Imam-ul-Haq, who also made a big jump in the rankings to reach the third spot, ahead of India's Rohit Sharma, who moved down to fourth.
The duo were a class apart against Australia. Imam was the highest run-getter, scoring 298 runs in three matches at a stellar average of 149, and Babar scored 276 runs in three matches, averaging 138 runs.
The 26-year-old played a pivotal role in the ODI series win over Australia, scoring back-to-back centuries in the first two matches, and an unbeaten 89 in the decider. Meanwhile, Babar took charge of the run chases after his side's 88-run loss in the opening ODI fixture, with consecutive centuries as well.
Aaron Finch, who endured a poor run during the ODI series, slipped three spots to 10th. Another Australian Travis Head, who opened the innings for Australia and performed exceptionally, jumped five spots to 34th.
New Zealand batter Tom Latham moved up as well, reaching 25 after an unbeaten 140-run knock against the Netherlands in their second ODI. Veteran Kiwi batter Ross Taylor, who played his last international match against the Netherlands on April 4, moved down three spots to sixth.
Meanwhile, Trent Boult maintained his hold of the top spot, but it was Shaheen Afridi who rose up the ranks. The left-arm fast bowler was excellent for Pakistan in the ODI series, picking up six wickets in the last two matches, helped him jump to seventh from 15th spot.
Other players rewarded for their performances were Netherlands’ left-arm pacer Fred Klaassen, who picked up crucial wickets for the non-Test playing nation and moved up to 55th in the rankings. New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi also climbed five spots to 37 after playing an important part in New Zealand's ODI series whitewash of Netherlands in their own backyard.
One player who suffered a downgrade was Australian spinner Adam Zampa, who slipped five spots to 14 after an underwhelming performance during the ODI series against Pakistan.
