Pakistan players slip in latest ICC Test, ODI rankings

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi has been dethroned from the top position of ICC ODI bowling rankings.

In a significant shake-up in the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings, Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi has been dethroned from the top position by Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.

Afridi, who had climbed to number one earlier this month following his impressive performance in Pakistan’s historic ODI series victory over Australia, lost his top ranking after missing the first two ODIs against Zimbabwe.

Afridi had been instrumental in Pakistan's 2-1 series win against Australia, taking 8 wickets at an average of 12.62.

His match-winning performance in the Perth ODI, where he claimed 3 wickets for just 32 runs, had earned him a career-high 696 rating points.

However, his absence from the Zimbabwe series led to a loss of 14 points, causing him to drop to second place in the latest rankings.

Rashid Khan climbs to no.1
Meanwhile, Rashid Khan has surged to the top of the ODI rankings after a standout performance in Afghanistan’s recent series against Bangladesh and South Africa.

In the Bangladesh series, Rashid claimed five wickets at an economy rate of 3.57, while in the series against South Africa, he picked up seven wickets, including a match-winning five-wicket haul.

Rashid's remarkable consistency in ODI cricket has earned him the top spot, with a career total of 195 wickets in 108 matches.

Rashid’s ascent to number one reflects his continued dominance in limited-overs cricket, making him one of the most lethal bowlers in the format.

Notably, Rashid is just five wickets shy of becoming the fourth-fastest bowler to reach 200 wickets in ODIs, joining the ranks of Mitchell Starc, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Trent Boult.

Impact on Other Rankings
In addition to Afridi's fall, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf also dropped two places to No.15 in the ODI bowling rankings after a solid performance in the Australia series.

On the batting side, emerging Pakistani opener Saim Ayub made a spectacular rise, climbing 80 places to No.90 after scoring a blistering century against Zimbabwe.
Shaheen Afridi's brief stint at number one was a testament to his excellent form, especially during the series against Australia.

However, his absence from the Zimbabwe series, coupled with Rashid Khan’s continued brilliance, has shifted the rankings.

In the Test batting department, Pakistan’s red-ball vice-captain Saud Shakeel has seen a slight improvement, rising from 9th to 8th place with 724 rating points. However, the rankings have not been as kind to other key players. Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, dropped one spot from 17th to 18th with 670 rating points. Alongside him, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha fell to 20th position with 662 rating points, while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan now sits at 21st with 661 rating points, a notable decline.

The latest update reflects a shift in the rankings after India’s dominant performance in the first of their five-match Test series against Australia. India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, following a magnificent 161 in Perth, climbed to a career-high second place, overtaking the likes of Harry Brook and Kane Williamson. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 has propelled him up nine spots to 13th, marking his return to the top 20 for the first time in over a decade.

In the bowling department, Pakistan’s Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi held their positions at 9th and 15th, respectively. Sajid Khan remained at 38th, while Naseem Shah slipped to 39th. On the other hand, India’s Jasprit Bumrah regained the number 1 spot in the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings after his impressive performance in the World Test Championship series against Australia. 

Bumrah’s match-winning figures of 5/30 and 3/42 in the first Test helped him leapfrog Josh Hazlewood and Kagiso Rabada to reach a career-best 883 rating points, the highest ever by an Indian seam bowler.

In the ODI format, Pakistan’s Babar Azam continues to dominate as the number 1 ODI batter with 809 rating points. However, Fakhar Zaman has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies 14th place with 649 rating points. Imam-ul-Haq also slid down two spots to 17th with 639 rating points. Mohammad Rizwan remained steady at 24th with 605 rating points. Babar Azam is currently joined at the top by India’s Rohit Sharma (2nd), Shubman Gill (3rd), and Virat Kohli (4th), highlighting the dominance of Indian batters.