Pakistan's Star All-Rounder Reclaims Top Spot in ICC Rankings

Pakistan’s rising T20 match-winner Saim Ayub has climbed back to the No. 1 position among all-rounders in the latest ICC T20I Player Rankings.

Saim Ayub’s jump to the top comes on the back of Pakistan’s 3-0 home whitewash of Australia at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, where he delivered with both bat and ball.

The left-hander was Pakistan’s second-highest run-scorer in the series with 119 runs, including a half-century, finishing just one run behind captain Salman Ali Agha. He also chipped in with three key wickets, including removing Australia’s aggressor Travis Head twice.

With Pakistan heading into a major tournament, Ayub’s all-round impact gives them a valuable option up top, someone who can score quickly in the Powerplay and still contribute overs when required.

ICC T20I All-Rounder Rankings

Pos	Team	Player	Rating
1	PAK	Saim Ayub	290
2	ZIM	Sikandar Raza	289
3	IND	Hardik Pandya	247
4	PAK	Mohammad Nawaz	230
5	WI	Roston Chase	228
6	NEP	Dipendra Singh Airee	202
7	AFG	Azmatullah Omarzai	202
8	AFG	Mohammad Nabi	197
9	IND	Shivam Dube	186
10	WI	Romario Shepherd	185

The latest rankings also keeps several familiar names in the mix. Sikandar Raza remains right on Ayub’s heels at No. 2, while Hardik Pandya holds third. Pakistan have another presence in the top four with Mohammad Nawaz who was the leading wicket taker of the Pakistan vs Australia series, which included a match-winning 5-fer.

Ayub’s red-hot form is also turning heads ahead of the first-ever Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) player auction. In a surprise call, Peshawar Zalmi released Saim Ayub, opting to go with Babar Azam instead.

However, as the No. 1 T20 all-rounder in cricket, Saim Ayub is shaping up to be one of the most in-demand names at the auction, with multiple franchises expected to chase him hard.