Babar Azam climbed to 10th in the Test batting rankings, while Abdullah Shafique and Sajid Khan made major gains after Pakistan’s victory over the West Indies.
DUBAI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam has returned to the top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test batting rankings, while Abdullah Shafique and Sajid Khan also made significant gains following Pakistan’s impressive eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second Test.
The result ended Pakistan’s wait of more than three years for a Test victory away from home and provided a major boost to the rankings fortunes of several Pakistan players.
Babar ends two-year top-10 drought
Babar produced a crucial performance in the Test, scoring 88 runs in the first innings before remaining unbeaten on 24 as Pakistan completed the eight-wicket victory.
The Pakistan captain climbed five places to 10th in the latest Test batting rankings.
It marks the first time Babar has been inside the top 10 since early September 2024, ending an almost two-year absence from the elite group.
Shafique makes stunning 25-place jump
Abdullah Shafique made an even bigger leap after producing a match-defining innings against the West Indies.
The Pakistan No. 3 struck an unbeaten 160, earning him a remarkable 25-place rise to 32nd among Test batters.
His performance provided a major boost to Pakistan’s batting rankings and underlined his importance to the team’s Test campaign.
Sajid climbs in bowling and all-rounder rankings
Spinner Sajid Khan was Pakistan’s standout bowler during the Test and was rewarded with gains in two ranking categories.
The right-arm spinner climbed five places to 30th among Test bowlers and also moved five places to 32nd among Test all-rounders.
His contribution with the ball played an important role in Pakistan’s successful conclusion to the Test series.
Head, Bumrah and Jadeja retain top spots
Australia’s Travis Head continues to occupy the No. 1 position among Test batters.
India’s pace spearhead remains at the top of the Test bowling rankings, while Ravindra Jadeja retains the No. 1 spot among Test all-rounders.
Afghanistan stars make ODI gains
The latest rankings update also brought movement in the ODI charts following Afghanistan’s recent matches against Ireland.
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was among the biggest winners, climbing three places to 11th among ODI batters after scoring 71 in Belfast.
Teammate Hashmatullah Shahidi moved four places to 50th in the same category.
Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher also returned to the ODI rankings, entering in joint 59th place.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan strengthened his grip on the top spot in the ODI bowling rankings after consecutive Player of the Match performances, including a superb six-wicket haul in the second match against Ireland.
Ireland pacer Mark Adair also returned to the ODI bowling rankings, moving into 17th place.