Pakistani cricketers move up in ICC test rankings

Azhar Ali's ton against Sri Lanka boosted him six places to 13. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top batters Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali have moved up in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after scoring big hundreds against Sri Lanka in the drawn second Test played at the Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, on Wednesday.     

Ali stroked a superb 157, featuring in a 287-run second wicket partnership with opener Hafeez.

According a press release this mammoth effort earned Azhar 39 ratings points which lifted him six places to the 13th position, whereas Hafeez, who scored a brilliant 196, collected 44 ratings points and has moved up six places to the 30th position.

Other batsmen who moved up the rankings include Misbahul Haq up to 11 (up by three places) and Taufeeq Umar at 40 (up by six places).

There are no big movers inside the top 20 in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers except Pakistan’s Abdul Rehman who has climbed two places to 11^th place following his five wickets in the match.

Outside the top 20, Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan, who picked up the man of the match award for his five for 73 in the first innings, has vaulted 17 places and now sits in at 42. This is his career-best ranking.

The bowlers’ list is headed by Dale Steyn of South Africa with Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal in second position. Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath is sitting in fourth place, 48 points behind the Pakistani and 20 points behind England’s third-ranked James Anderson.