Pakistan cricket has received a major morale boost just months ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy as star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Bowler Rankings.
The pacers return to the top comes on the back of a sensational performance in Pakistan’s recent series victory over Australia, where he claimed eight wickets in three matches at an impressive average of 12.62.
Shaheen Afrid’s impressive performances helped him rise three spots to first place bumping South African spinner Keshav Maharaj down to third, while Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan holds on to second spot. This is not Shaheen’s first time sitting atop the ODI rankings, he initially claimed the position during last year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Meanwhile, his teammate Haris Rauf has stormed up 14 places to a career-best 13th in the ODI bowler rankings, thanks to his stellar Player of the Series performance against Australia, where he picked up 10 wickets while Naseem Shah also marked a new personal high, jumping 14 places to 55th.
With Afridi now leading the ODI bowling ranks and Babar Azam comfortably holding the No. 1 position among ODI batters, Pakistan boasts the top-ranked players in both categories.
Former captain Azam extended his lead after scoring 80 runs against Australia, while newly appointed skipper Mohammad Rizwan climbed to a career-best equal 23rd after contributing 74 runs in the series.
With their stars in top form and fresh rankings achievements, Pakistan is gearing up to make a powerful impression in next year’s Champions Trophy under the leadership of Rizwan.
| Ranking | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Shaheen Afridi | Pakistan | 696 |
| 2 | Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 687 |
| 3 | Keshav Maharaj | South Africa | 674 |
| 4 | Kuldeep Yadav | India | 665 |
| 5 | Bernard Schotlz | Namibia | 654 |
| 6 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | 645 |
| 7 | Trent Boult | New Zealand | 643 |
| = | Mohammad Siraj | India | 643 |
| 9 | Adam Zampa | Australia | 635 |
| 10 | Josh Hazlewood | Australia | 634 |