South Africa's stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder has made a massive leap in the latest ICC Test Batters Rankings following his record-breaking knock of 367* against Zimbabwe in the second Test.
The remarkable innings propelled him 34 places up to 22nd position with 669 rating points, overtaking former Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who has now slipped to 23rd with 651 points.
Among Pakistani batters, Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel dropped two spots to 13th, while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan also slipped to 21st with 671 points. T20I captain Salman Ali Agha dropped one place to 34th, and Test skipper Shan Masood fell four places to 48th. Opening batter Abdullah Shafique moved down to 52nd, while Kamran Ghulam retained his 76th position. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub slipped one spot to 84th.
Brook tops rankings
In a major shake-up at the top of the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings, England's Harry Brook has reclaimed the No. 1 spot, dethroning teammate Joe Root after an outstanding performance in the second Test against India in Birmingham.
Brook's magnificent 158-run innings in the first innings helped propel him to the top, leaving Root in second place, 18 rating points adrift. The Edgbaston Test also saw a strong rise for India's Shubman Gill, who made significant strides in the rankings.
The Indian captain moved up 15 places to secure a career-high sixth spot, following a brilliant 269 and 161 in the second Test, marking his first victory as captain.
Gill now finds himself just 79 rating points behind Brook, with only Root, Kane Williamson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Steve Smith ahead of him in the rankings.
England's Jamie Smith also enjoyed a remarkable rise, improving by 16 places to break into the top 10. Smith's stellar performances, with scores of 184 not out and 88, secured him the 10th position in the rankings. In bowling, India's Jasprit Bumrah remains the top-ranked Test bowler despite missing the Birmingham Test due to workload management.
His compatriot, Mohammed Siraj, also climbed six places to 22nd after a solid performance against England. Meanwhile, West Indies' Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph both rose six spots, securing 29th and 31st positions, respectively.
Noman Ali remains the only Pakistani player to stay in top 10 of Test bowler rankings.
Shifting focus to the ODI rankings, Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka gained ground after leading his side to a 2-1 series victory over Bangladesh.
Asalanka moved up two places to secure sixth position among ODI batters, just behind the top-ranked Gill.
Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis also saw a significant boost, rising 10 spots to 10th place following his Player of the Series performance against Bangladesh.
Babar Azam retains his No. 2 rank in ODI batters ranking.
With these changes, both the Test and ODI rankings are witnessing a fascinating shift, as new stars rise and established names continue to challenge for supremacy.
Top End T20 Series schedule
The official schedule for the 2025 Top End T20 series has been unveiled, featuring a record 11 teams, including five Big Bash League (BBL) Academy squads, three international sides, and regional Australian outfits.
Topping the lineup are the BBL 14 champions Hobart Hurricanes Academy, who will be joined by Academy teams from the Perth Scorchers, Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades, and Adelaide Strikers.
On the international front, Nepal's national team, Pakistan Shaheens, Bangladesh 'A', and USA-based Chicago Kingsmen will be competing alongside Australian domestic teams ACT Comets and NT Strike.
The tournament will kick off on August 14 with Pakistan Shaheens facing Bangladesh 'A' at the TIO Stadium in Darwin.
The Shaheens are set to play against the Scorchers on August 16, the Renegades on August 18, and the Strikers on August 20. They will then take on Nepal on August 22, with the series final scheduled for August 24.
In the previous edition of the Top End T20 Series, Pakistan registered a win against the Perth Scorchers in their first match but suffered a defeat against the Melbourne Stars in their next game.
After that, the Men in Green recorded back-to-back victories over Tasmania and the Melbourne Renegades and also secured a win against Bangladesh 'A'.
Pakistan then defeated the Australian Capital Territory in their final group match to book a place in the semifinal round, where they were knocked out after losing to the Adelaide Strikers.
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