Pakistan’s middle-order batsman Saud Shakeel has made notable progress in the latest ICC Test rankings, while some of his teammates have seen a decline.
Shakeel’s impressive knock of 84 runs in the second innings of the first Test against South Africa earned him a rise of three places, moving up from ninth to sixth with 764 rating points.
On the other hand, Babar Azam dropped two positions to 17th place despite scoring a half-century in the same match, now holding 669 rating points.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha also faced a downturn, dropping to 21st and 23rd positions, respectively.
Opening batsman Abdullah Shafique, struggling with form, has slipped to 51st, while captain Shan Masood has remained steady at 57th.
In the top rankings, England’s Joe Root continues to hold the top spot as the number-one Test batsman, followed by his teammate Harry Brook in second place, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in third.
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In the bowling rankings, Pakistan’s spinner Noman Ali has fallen to ninth with 751 rating points, while pacer Shaheen Afridi dropped to 18th with 661 points.
Mohammad Abbas, who made a comeback to international cricket with six wickets against South Africa, has secured the 23rd spot.
Pace sensation Naseem Shah has surged six places to 33rd, while Hasan Ali and Sajid Khan have slipped to 40th and 41st, respectively.
Khurram Shahzad moved up one position to 57th, while Abrar Ahmed has fallen three spots to 59th.
In the ODI rankings, Pakistan’s white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan saw a slight improvement, climbing three places to 21st, while Saim Ayub made a remarkable leap, jumping 57 spots to 23rd with 603 points.
