Several Pakistani players experienced declines in the latest ICC Test and ODI rankings, following a string of underwhelming performances in recent international matches.
ICC Test Rankings Update
In the Test batting rankings, Pakistan’s vice-captain Saud Shakeel offered a glimmer of hope, climbing one spot to 8th place with 724 rating points.
However, the news wasn’t as positive for other key players. Babar Azam, Pakistan’s star batter and former number one in ODIs, dropped from 17th to 18th with 670 points. Meanwhile, Salman Ali Agha slipped to 20th place (662 points), and Mohammad Rizwan fell to 21st (661 points), marking notable declines for both.
The rankings also reflect India’s dominance in their ongoing five-match Test series against Australia. Yashasvi Jaiswal, after his stellar 161 in Perth, climbed to a career-best 2nd place, overtaking stars like Harry Brook and Kane Williamson.
Additionally, Virat Kohli, with an unbeaten century, surged nine spots to 13th, re-entering the top 20 for the first time in over a decade.
| Rank | Country | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | Joe Root | 903 |
| 2 | India | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 825 |
| 3 | New Zealand | Kane Williamson | 804 |
| 4 | England | Harry Brook | 778 |
| 5 | New Zealand | Daryl Mitchell | 743 |
| 6 | India | Rishabh Pant | 736 |
| 7 | Australia | Steven Smith | 726 |
| 8 | Pakistan | Saud Shakeel | 724 |
| 9 | Sri Lanka | Kamindu Mendis | 716 |
| 10 | Australia | Travis Head | 713 |
In the bowling department, Pakistan’s Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi retained their positions at 9th and 15th, respectively.
Sajid Khan held firm at 38th, while Naseem Shah dropped to 39th. India’s Jasprit Bumrah regained the top spot in the Test Bowling Rankings after a phenomenal performance against Australia, achieving career-best figures of 883 rating points, the highest ever for an Indian fast bowler.
| Rank | Country | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | Jasprit Bumrah | 883 |
| 2 | South Africa | Kagiso Rabada | 872 |
| 3 | Australia | Josh Hazlewood | 860 |
| 4 | India | Ravichandran Ashwin | 807 |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | Prabath Jayasuriya | 801 |
| 6 | Australia | Pat Cummins | 796 |
| 7 | India | Ravindra Jadeja | 794 |
| 8 | Australia | Nathan Lyon | 782 |
| 9 | Pakistan | Noman Ali | 759 |
| 10 | New Zealand | Matt Henry | 750 |
ICC ODI Rankings Update
In the ODI format, Pakistan’s Babar Azam remains the world’s No. 1 ODI batter with 809 rating points, continuing to lead despite his team’s recent struggles.
However, Fakhar Zaman slipped out of the top 10, falling to 14th place with 649 points, while Imam-ul-Haq dropped two spots to 17th (639 points). Mohammad Rizwan held steady at 24th with 605 points.
India’s dominance in the ODI batting rankings is evident, with Rohit Sharma (2nd), Shubman Gill (3rd), and Virat Kohli (4th) following closely behind Babar, showcasing the strength of Indian batters.
| Rank | Country | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pakistan | Babar Azam | 809 |
| 2 | India | Rohit Sharma | 765 |
| 3 | India | Shubman Gill | 763 |
| 4 | India | Virat Kohli | 746 |
| 5 | Ireland | Harry Tector | 737 |
| 6 | New Zealand | Daryl Mitchell | 706 |
| 7 | Afghanistan | Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 693 |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | Pathum Nissanka | 671 |
| 9 | West Indies | Shai Hope | 665 |
| 10 | Sri Lanka | Charith Asalanka | 660 |
In the bowling rankings, Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi lost his position as the top-ranked ODI bowler, dropping to 2nd place with 682 points, as Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan reclaimed the number one spot.
Haris Rauf also experienced a decline, slipping from 15th to 17th with 589 points. South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj and India’s Kuldeep Yadav moved up to 3rd and 4th positions, respectively.
| Rank | Country | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan | Rashid Khan | 687 |
| 2 | Pakistan | Shaheen Afridi | 682 |
| 3 | South Africa | Keshav Maharaj | 674 |
| 4 | India | Kuldeep Yadav | 665 |
| 5 | Namibia | Bernard Scholtz | 654 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | Maheesh Theekshana | 650 |
| 7 | India | Jasprit Bumrah | 645 |
| 8 | India | Mohammed Siraj | 643 |
| 9 | Australia | Adam Zampa | 635 |
| 10 | Australia | Josh Hazlewood | 634 |
Key Highlights
- Saud Shakeel is now Pakistan’s highest-ranked Test batter at 8th place.
- Babar Azam remains the world’s top ODI batter, but Pakistani batters Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq have dropped significantly.
- Shaheen Afridi lost his ODI bowling crown to Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.
- India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal made significant gains in Test rankings, reflecting India’s strong performances.
