Pakistanis Slip Down in Latest ICC Rankings

The troubles for the Pakistan cricket team continue to mount, and the latest update from the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings has offered no reprieve. Most national players have seen a decline in their positions, following consecutive losses to South Africa in the second Test and the first T20I.

What was supposed to be a momentum-building home series has instead left Pakistan grappling with both performance concerns and ranking setbacks, with star names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah all losing valuable ground.

Starting with the bowlers in the five-day format, the 1-1 draw against South Africa has seen Noman Ali drop one place to third in the latest ICC rankings. The left-armer misses out on a chance to dethrone Jasprit Bumrah, who continues to lead the charts. In addition to Noman, Shaheen Afridi (23) and Sajid Khan (28) have also slipped in the rankings following the series.

ICC Test Bowlers Rankings:

The ICC rankings haven’t been kind to the batters either. Mohammad Rizwan (21), Imam-ul-Haq (50), and Abdullah Shafique (53) have all lost ground. Pakistan’s vice-captain Saud Shakeel remains the top-ranked Test batter at 12, while Salman Ali Agha (29) and Shan Masood (42) have shown slight improvements.

ICC Test Batters Rankings:

Meanwhile, on the T20I front, Pakistani players have also faced demotions after their opening loss to South Africa. Among the bowlers, Abrar Ahmed has dropped one place to 8th, while Shaheen Afridi has slipped to 16th. However, Saim Ayub has jumped 15 places to 41, and Mohammad Nawaz has climbed six spots to 33, rewarded for his recent form.

ICC T20I Rankings

On the batting side, Sahibzada Farhan is on the verge of breaking into the top 10 after moving up one place to 11th. Captain Salman Ali Agha (64) and Hasan Nawaz (65) have both dropped, while Saim Ayub is the only other active batter to improve his ranking, rising five places to 49th in the world.

ICC T20I Batters Rankings:

As the South Africa tour continues, Pakistan’s fall in the ICC rankings is not just about numbers — it’s a wake-up call ahead of a defining year in international cricket.