Pakistan’s batting has been through significant transition over the past 18 months. Several players have stepped up. New names have forced their way into the conversation. The ICC rankings tell part of the story but form, context, and role in the team complete the picture. Here is a clear-eyed look at Best Pakistan Batsmen Currently across all formats right now in 2026.
1: Babar Azam
Babar Azam remains Pakistan’s most complete batsman regardless of format. He sits sixth in the ICC ODI batting rankings with 684 points and 19th in the Test rankings. In T20Is, he continues to feature in the top 20 globally. Those numbers across three separate formats simultaneously put him in a category that almost no other Pakistan batter can claim.
He was recently restored as Pakistan’s Test captain for the West Indies series after Shan Masood’s difficult tenure produced 12 losses in 16 Tests. That return to leadership gives Babar a clear focus and a fresh motivation heading into the second half of 2026. His ODI record stands at 9,946 runs at an average of 60.27 with 31 centuries. The only debate is whether he is still producing his very best batting, not whether he is still Pakistan’s leading player.
2: Saud Shakeel
In Test cricket specifically, Saud Shakeel has become Pakistan’s most reliable performer. He currently ranks 13th in the ICC Test batting rankings with 689 points, making him Pakistan’s highest ranked red ball batter in the world.
He bats at number six, constructs innings with intelligence, and has an average of 55.43 across his Test career that places him comfortably among the best active middle order batters in the world.
Shakeel also serves as vice captain for the West Indies Test series, recognising that he is the senior figure that newer players look to in the dressing room. He averaged 49.73 in his last 12 Tests, a consistent record that underlines why the selectors trust him completely as the anchor of Pakistan’s Test middle order.
3: Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan is the most versatile batter in Pakistan’s squad. He contributes across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is with a consistency that few wicketkeeper batters in world cricket can match. He currently ranks 20th in Tests with 656 points and features in the top 25 globally in T20Is.
His approach at the crease has evolved significantly in recent years. He bats with more aggression at the top of T20I innings than in previous seasons, adapting his game to Pakistan’s need for faster powerplay scoring. He averaged 47.12 in T20Is in 2025 and 2026 combined, making him one of the most reliable performers across the format transition Pakistan has been navigating throughout this period.
4: Salman Ali Agha
Salman Ali Agha has been one of Pakistan’s most pleasant batting surprises of 2025 and 2026. He currently ranks ninth in the ICC ODI batting rankings with 664 points, placing him inside the global top ten in the format. He also sits 27th in Tests, a remarkable ranking for a player who only established himself in the Test side in 2024.
His value lies in his role as a genuine batting allrounder. He takes the game on in the lower middle order, scores at a strike rate that puts pressure on any bowling attack, and contributes useful seam bowling with the ball.
For a Pakistan side that has struggled to find allround balance at Test level, his emergence is one of the most significant individual developments in their recent white ball and red ball cricket.
5: Saim Ayub
Saim Ayub was Pakistan’s most exciting batting discovery of 2024 and 2025. At just 23 years old, he has already made a significant mark in all three formats. He currently ranks 29th in ODI batting with 532 points and features in the top 40 in T20Is.
The natural attacking instinct he brings to the opening position gives Pakistan a different tempo at the top of the innings from anything they had before.
He suffered a serious ankle injury during the Champions Trophy 2025 that sidelined him for several months. His return to competitive cricket in 2026 has been impressive in patches, though he has not yet been able to string together the kind of consistent runs that would push him even higher in the rankings.
When fully fit and confident, he is arguably the most dangerous opener Pakistan have produced in the shortest format since Ahmed Shehzad at his peak. Our breakdown of where Pakistan’s greatest batters fit across the full sweep of the game’s history is explored in detail in our piece on the 10 best Pakistani batters in cricket history, a list Ayub is beginning to build the foundations to feature in over the next decade.
6: Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman sits 24th in the ICC ODI batting rankings with 561 points. He remains Pakistan’s most destructive ODI opener in terms of raw power hitting. His 193 against South Africa in a 2018 ODI in Johannesburg remains the highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in the format.
His Test career never truly established itself and he is no longer considered for the shortest format consistently. But in 50-over cricket, his ability to take on any bowling attack from ball one makes him a genuine match winner when conditions suit his style.
His record at ICC events is particularly strong, with hundreds in the 2022 Asia Cup and strong contributions in several Champions Trophy matches. The broader story of how Pakistan’s white ball batting has been built around power openers across different eras is covered in our long form piece on the best cricket players in Pakistan cricket history.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s batting across all three formats is stronger than it often gets credit for. Babar Azam remains the best of the group by a clear margin. Saud Shakeel has become genuinely world class in Test cricket. Rizwan provides consistency across every format. Salman Agha is rapidly developing into a top ten ODI batter. And Saim Ayub, when fully fit, gives Pakistan an attacking dimension at the top of the order that no other batter in their squad can replicate. This group, working together, gives Pakistan real reason to believe ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
