Babar Azam up, Rizwan down in latest ICC Test Rankings
The latest update of the ICC rankings has shown significant changes for several Pakistani cricketers, with some players experiencing progress, while others have faced a decline.
Despite being sidelined for several months, opening batter Fakhar Zaman managed to climb one spot to secure 17th place, earning 623 rating points.
Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, and Saim Ayub maintained their positions in the rankings, holding 20th, 22nd, and 23rd places, respectively. Salman Ali Agha made notable progress, moving to 79th, whereas Abdullah Shafique’s performance slump saw him drop to 98th place with 436 points.
In the ODI batting rankings, Babar Azam remains the world’s top batter, ahead of India’s Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, who occupy the second and third positions, respectively.
In bowling, Haris Rauf retained his position in 18th place with 585 points. Naseem Shah moved up to 50th, and Mohammad Wasim Jr improved by two spots, reaching 59th. Mohammad Nawaz maintained his position at 72nd.
Shaheen Afridi, however, experienced a drop, falling from third to fourth as Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana overtook him. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and India’s Kuldeep Yadav hold the top two positions.
In Test cricket, Mohammad Rizwan dropped five spots to 11th place, while Babar Azam rose five places to 12th. Salman Ali Agha moved up to 22nd, and Shan Masood saw a significant rise, climbing 12 spots to 45th.
Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique saw declines, slipping to 49th and 53rd, respectively. Kamran Ghulam and Saim Ayub also fell to 87th and 92nd positions.
Among Test bowlers, Nauman Ali and Shaheen Afridi slipped to 11th and 21st, respectively. Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah saw minor declines, but Abrar Ahmed made a notable climb, moving up to 58th. Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, and Kagiso Rabada continue to dominate the top three positions.
In T20I cricket, Babar Azam moved up to 6th place, joining his teammate Mohammad Rizwan in the top 10. Saim Ayub retained his position in 57th place. Australia’s Travis Head leads the T20I rankings, followed by England’s Phil Salt and India’s Tilak Varma.
For T20I bowlers, Shaheen Afridi improved to 21st, while Haris Rauf and Abbas Afridi dropped to 29th and 44th, respectively. West Indies’ Akeal Hosein continues to hold the top spot, with England’s Adil Rashid and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga trailing behind.
