Yasir is ninth on bowler's Test ranking with 750 points. PHOTO: FILE/AFP
KARACHI: Leg-spinner Yasir Shah jumped from 14th position into the top ten bowler's Test rankings with a magnificent performance against Sri Lanka in the second Test which Pakistan lost by seven wickets.
Yasir bagged eight wickets in the second Test - just his ninth Test - after a match-winning seven wickets in the first Test which helped him grab the ninth position in the bowler's Test ranking with 750 rating points.
He is now just 10 points behind Sri Lankan left-hand spinner Rangana Herath who sits at the eight position.
Read: Seven-star Yasir helps Pakistan stun Lanka
Meanwhile, Pakistan's second innings centurion in the second Test, Azhar Ali, jumped seven spaces to climb to the 12th position in the batsmen's rankings.
Yasir is being touted to fill in the shoes of ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal who has been out of the scene with substandard bowling performances after his action was remodeled to fit in the 15 degree legal bend.
The leggie recently became Pakistan's fastest bowler to bag 50 wickets in Tests beating coach Waqar Younis.
Read: Yasir, Zulfiqar overshadowed Herath: Angelo Mathews
Yasir was ecstatic about his achievement and said Shane Warne's tweet motivated him to thrive harder.
"I still remember when Shane Warne tweeted me, that gave me ample confidence," said Yasir.
"With his words I was under pressure, thinking how I will live up to his appreciation but with every match I played since then I have started to thrive."
He added that he never had any record to beat in mind when he debuted against Australia last year.
"I never thought that far [on being the fastest Pakistan bowler to 50 wickets] when I made my debut against Australia," said the leggie.
"The only aim was to just concentrate on doing good for the country. I knew in Test cricket I needed to be patient and I did exactly what needed to be done. Misbah has supported me all the way."
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