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Babar Azam’s Rankings Nosedive: When Your Cricket Career Goes From Hero to Zero Faster Than You Can Say 'West Indies'

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 6:25 AM ET

Well, well, well. Look who’s having a bit of a rough patch. Babar Azam, Pakistan’s golden boy and former second-ranked ODI batsman, has just experienced what we like to call a “career reality check” courtesy of the West Indies bowling attack. And honestly? It’s about time someone knocked him down a peg or two.

The Fall From Grace That Nobody Saw Coming

Let’s be brutally honest: when you manage a whopping 56 runs across three matches against the West Indies with an average that makes club cricketers look like Virat Kohli, you deserve to slip in the rankings. Babar Azam has officially dropped to third place in the ICC ODI rankings, and frankly, even that might be generous considering his recent form.

The Pakistani sensation, who once had fans declaring him the next big thing in cricket, now sits with 751 rating points while India’s Rohit Sharma has casually strolled past him to claim the second spot. And here’s the kicker – Sharma hasn’t even played an ODI in 157 days! That’s right, folks. A guy who’s been sitting on his couch watching Netflix has better rankings momentum than Pakistan’s star batsman. If that doesn’t sting, I don’t know what does.

When the Hitman Strikes Without Even Playing

Rohit Sharma‘s rise to second place while being completely inactive is the kind of savage cricket karma that makes you question everything. The Indian captain last graced an ODI field on March 9, 2025, during the Champions Trophy Final against New Zealand, where he actually did something useful by scoring 76 off 83 balls. Meanwhile, Azam was out there actively trying to play cricket and somehow managed to make his ranking worse.

It’s like watching someone lose a race while standing still. The irony is so thick you could cut it with a cricket bat – preferably one that Azam might actually use to score some runs next time.

Pakistan’s Batting Order: A Comedy of Errors

But wait, there’s more! Because when it rains, it pours in Pakistani cricket. Mohammad Rizwan, the ODI skipper, decided to join the party by slipping to 22nd position with 602 points. Fakhar Zaman, who had the brilliant strategy of missing the series due to injury, still managed to drop four spots to 27th. At this rate, Pakistani batsmen are dropping faster than your Wi-Fi connection during a crucial Zoom call.

The real winner here has to be Saim Ayub, who took the express elevator down nine places to 46th position. That’s commitment to the cause right there – when your team decides to have a collective batting meltdown, why not make it a group effort?

The Bowling Department Isn’t Faring Much Better

As if the batting wasn’t embarrassing enough, Pakistan’s bowling attack decided they didn’t want to miss out on the fun. Shaheen Afridi, despite taking four wickets in two ODIs, still managed to slide down to 13th position. Because apparently, in Pakistani cricket, even doing your job reasonably well isn’t enough to maintain your ranking.

Haris Rauf dropped to 27th, Naseem Shah slipped to 43rd, and the only guy who seemed to have gotten the memo about actually performing was Abrar Ahmed, who rose to 54th. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana continues to sit pretty at the top of the bowling rankings, probably wondering what all the fuss is about.

The Bigger Picture: When Reality Bites Back

Here’s the thing about cricket rankings – they don’t lie, and they certainly don’t care about your reputation or past glories. Azam’s slip from grace is a harsh reminder that in international cricket, you’re only as good as your last series. And when that last series involves getting thoroughly outplayed by a West Indies team that many probably underestimated, well, the rankings gods have a way of serving up some humble pie.

The fact that Shubman Gill continues to lead the rankings as the world’s number one ODI batsman while Azam struggles to string together decent innings is telling. Cricket is a game of consistency, and right now, consistency is the one thing missing from Pakistan’s batting lineup.

What This Means for Pakistan Cricket

This isn’t just about one player having a bad series – it’s a wake-up call for Pakistan cricket as a whole. When your star batsman can’t handle the West Indies bowling attack, what does that say about your preparation for bigger challenges ahead? The Champions Trophy is looming, and based on current form, Pakistan might want to start practicing their “we’ll do better next time” speeches.

The ranking system doesn’t care about your past achievements or how many fans think you’re the next big thing. It cares about runs on the board, wickets in hand, and matches won. Right now, Pakistan is failing on pretty much all fronts, and Azam’s ranking drop is just the most visible symptom of a larger problem.

The Road to Redemption

So what’s next for Babar Azam? Well, he could start by actually scoring some runs. Revolutionary concept, I know, but sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. The beauty of cricket rankings is that they’re fluid – mess up badly enough, and you’ll drop like a stone, but perform consistently, and you can climb back up just as quickly.

The question is whether Azam has the mental fortitude to bounce back from this embarrassment or if this is the beginning of a longer slide down the rankings ladder. Given Pakistan‘s track record of dramatic comebacks followed by spectacular collapses, anything could happen.

One thing’s for sure, though – the next time Pakistan faces a team they’re supposed to beat, Azam better show up with his A-game. Because the rankings don’t forgive, and neither do the fans who’ve been defending his place as one of cricket’s elite batsmen.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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