Pakistan’s reliable middle-order batter Saud Shakeel has climbed to No. 9 in the ICC Test Batting Rankings. He is currently the only Pakistani batter in the top 10 Test batters in the world.
Shakeel’s rise in the rankings comes on the back of five Test matches played in 2025, where he demonstrated resilience and composure against challenging bowling attacks.
Throughout the year, he played ten innings, scoring two half-centuries, helping Pakistan stabilize the middle order and build crucial partnerships. His technique and temperament have earned praise from cricket analysts as well, who see him as a key pillar of Pakistan’s batting lineup in the longest format.
| Rank | Team | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | Joe Root | 867 |
| 2 | England | Harry Brook | 846 |
| 3 | New Zealand | Kane Williamson | 822 |
| 4 | Australia | Travis Head | 816 |
| 5 | Australia | Steve Smith | 811 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | Kamindu Mendis | 781 |
| 7 | South Africa | Temba Bavuma | 775 |
| 8 | India | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 750 |
| 9 | Pakistan | Saud Shakeel | 734 |
| 10 | India | Shubman Gill | 730 |
Recently, he led the Karachi Region Blues to victory in the 2025 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. In the six games he played, Saud Shakeel scored 329 runs, scoring one fifty and one hundred in the tournament with an average of 32.90.
In bowling news, Pakistan’s veteran left‑arm spinner Noman Ali has also achieved a personal best in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings, climbing to a joint‑second position with Mitchell Starc, both on 843 rating points. This represents the highest Test bowling rank of his career and makes him the only Pakistani bowler in the current Top 20 list.