Noman Ali climbs to No 2 in ICC Test bowler rankings

Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Noman Ali has climbed to a career-best second position in the latest ICC Test bowlers’ rankings, following his impressive performance against South Africa in the Lahore Test.

The 38-year-old spinner rose four spots, overtaking South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, who dropped to fifth. Noman now sits just behind India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, who continues to lead the global rankings.

Noman’s consistent bowling display in the recent series helped Pakistan secure a crucial victory over South Africa, earning him widespread recognition.

Among other Pakistani bowlers, Shaheen Afridi moved up three places to 19th, while Sajid Khan maintained his 21st position. Mohammad Abbas also retained his place within the top 30, ranked 27th.

In the Test batting rankings, the top five — Joe Root, Harry Brook, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Yashasvi Jaiswal — remained unchanged. From Pakistan, Saud Shakeel dropped one position to 13th, Mohammad Rizwan advanced four spots to 16th, Babar Azam gained two places to reach 22nd, and Agha Salman jumped eight positions to 30th.