Shaheen Shah Afridi has ascended to the coveted top position in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings, marking his debut at the summit. The rise comes on the heels of his exceptional performances during the ongoing ICC Men’s World Cup.
Shaheen, the left-arm pace sensation, currently shares the distinction of being the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with Australia’s spin maestro, Adam Zampa.
His remarkable tally of 16 wickets in seven matches includes a breathtaking five-wicket haul delivered against Australia in Bangaluru. Furthermore, he showcased his prowess against Bangladesh by accounting for three valuable wickets, conceding just 23 runs in nine overs.
What’s more, the 23-year-old achieved a significant milestone by reaching 100 ODI wickets in the same game, remarkably becoming the fastest pace bowler to attain this feat, taking only 51 matches to surpass Mitchell Starc’s previous record of 52 appearances.
In the broader context, Shaheen ranks as the third-fastest bowler to reach the 100-wicket milestone in ODI history, trailing behind Sandeep Lamichhane (42 matches) and Rashid Khan (44 matches).
This historic achievement marks the first time that Shaheen has claimed the top position in the bowler’s rankings across any cricket format. His rise to the summit involves a remarkable leap of nine places, firmly establishing his dominance.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam, continues his reign at the pinnacle of the ODI Batting Rankings, a position he has maintained since April 2021.
What’s particularly noteworthy is that, for the first time in the history of the ICC ODI Player Rankings, Pakistan now boasts both a top-ranked batter and bowler simultaneously.
In other rankings updates, right-arm pacer Haris Rauf has climbed five positions to secure the 26th rank among ODI bowlers. Imam-ul-Haq occupies the 11th spot among batters, while Fakhar Zaman has advanced two positions to claim the 14th position following his impressive innings against Bangladesh, where he scored 81 runs from 74 deliveries, featuring three boundaries and seven maximums.
Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in the World Cup, Mohammad Rizwan, has moved up one spot to occupy the 36th rank in the batter’s rankings, while Mohammad Wasim Jnr has made a remarkable ascent, soaring 18 places to secure the 56th position in the bowling chart. Shadab Khan is in a tie for the 19th spot in the all-rounders’ rankings alongside Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga.
In the team rankings, Pakistan currently holds the third position in ODI rankings, with India and Australia occupying the first and second spots, respectively.