WEB DESK: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday released its updated player rankings for the T20 and ODI formats, bringing mixed fortunes for Pakistan. While established names have slipped down the charts, a few younger players are beginning to make inroads.

For the first time in years, Pakistan has no player inside the top 20 of either the T20I batting or bowling rankings.

Former skipper Babar Azam dropped three places to 21st, while wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan slid two spots to 22nd.

Among emerging names, 22-year-old Hassan Nawaz continued his steady rise, climbing two spots to 31st.

In bowling, Sufyan Muqeem surged 11 places to 21st, Shaheen Shah Afridi rose eight places to 26th, and Haris Rauf moved up four to 28th.

In ODIs, Pakistan captain Babar Azam maintained his position at No. 3 in the batting rankings.

However, Mohammad Rizwan dropped to 26th despite a slight gain earlier in the week, while Fakhar Zaman edged up one spot to 27th.

The biggest development in the all-rounders’ list came from across the border, as Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza—born in Pakistan—rose to the No. 1 spot in ODI all-rounder rankings, underlining his consistent all-round performances.

For Pakistan, Salman Ali Agha slipped one place to 21st, leaving the side still without a dominant force in this category.

With no Pakistani representation among the T20I top 20 in batting or bowling, and only Babar maintaining an elite ODI position, pressure is mounting on the team to regroup ahead of upcoming international fixtures.

The progress of youngsters like Hassan Nawaz and Sufyan Muqeem offers encouragement, but the dip in form of experienced campaigners remains a major concern.