Web Desk: Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Abbas made significant gains in the latest ICC Test rankings, while Mohammad Ali also climbed the bowling standings as several players moved up following recent performances.
The International Cricket Council released its latest rankings on Wednesday, with Shakeel making one of the biggest jumps among Test batters. The Pakistan left-hander rose 15 places to 18th in the batting rankings.
Meanwhile, Abbas surged 10 places to equal 15th among Test bowlers, while Mohammad Ali moved up 11 spots to 81st.
Shakeel’s rise comes as Pakistan strengthens its presence among the leading Test batters.
The 15-place improvement puts him inside the world’s top 20, highlighting his recent contribution with the bat.
Pakistan also saw Abbas make a notable return toward the upper end of the bowling rankings after climbing 10 positions to equal 15th.
England fast bowler Ollie Robinson was the biggest headline-maker in the Test bowling rankings, climbing six places to fifth — his best position in the latest update.
Robinson’s rise follows consecutive Player of the Match awards against Pakistan in England’s World Test Championship series.
At Lord’s, the right-arm seamer claimed eight wickets to help England secure the three-match series. His performances also moved him back into the top five for the first time since July 2023.
England’s Josh Tongue also gained four places to move to equal 13th, further strengthening the country’s representation among the leading Test bowlers.
Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando climbed four places to 11th after taking four wickets against India in Colombo.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc remained the world’s top-ranked Test bowler after moving ahead of India’s Jasprit Bumrah in the previous rankings update.
The latest rankings, however, show considerable movement immediately outside the top 10 as several fast bowlers benefited from strong performances.
England’s Harry Brook retained the No. 1 position in the Test batting rankings despite modest scores of 15 and 34 in the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.
Australia’s Steve Smith moved closer in second place, while England’s Joe Root dropped to third.
Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis was the major mover inside the top 10, rising two places to reach 10th after scoring a steady half-century in the second innings against India.
Beyond the top 10, Shakeel’s 15-place surge to 18th stood out among the major batting movements.
Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha recorded an even bigger jump, climbing 29 places to 25th, while India’s Devdutt Padikkal advanced five places to 54th.
The latest rankings therefore reflect strong movement among players outside the established top tier, particularly from Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The ICC also released updates to its T20 International rankings, with South Africa’s Dewald Brevis making one of the biggest gains.
Brevis climbed six places to fourth among T20I batters after producing scores of 75, 75 not out and 41 in three matches in the ongoing tri-series in Namibia.
Only India’s Ishan Kishan, Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and India’s Abhishek Sharma remain ahead of him in the rankings.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan retained the No. 1 position among T20I bowlers.
Zimbabwe fast bowler Brad Evans climbed eight places to 26th, while South Africa’s left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka made a 24-place jump to 54th.
The latest ICC update highlights the impact of recent performances across Test and T20I cricket, with Pakistan players among those making some of the most notable gains.
Read more: PCB advertises fielding coach position for national team
