Pakistani players secure top spots in latest ICC ODI rankings

Pakistan’s star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi have made notable progress in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI and Test rankings.

Babar Azam, who recently stepped down as Pakistan's ODI captain, continues to dominate the ODI Batting Rankings, maintaining his position as the world’s top ODI batter with 822 rating points.

However, opening batter Imam-ul-Haq experienced a slight drop, falling from 11th to 12th place with 666 rating points. Fakhar Zaman retained his place in the Top 10, holding steady at 9th with 675 rating points.

In the ODI Bowling Rankings, Shaheen Shah Afridi made strides, jumping three places to secure 4th position with 655 rating points.

His performance in the first ODI against Australia, where he took 2 wickets for 43 runs in 10 overs, was a key factor in his rise.

Meanwhile, Haris Rauf, despite taking three wickets in the same match, dropped four places to 27th. Naseem Shah, on the other hand, remained stable at 69th with 436 rating points.

In the Test rankings, Babar Azam climbed to 17th in the Test Batting Rankings, despite missing the final two matches of Pakistan's recent three-match Test series against England.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan also saw improvement, moving up two places to 20th, while all-rounder Salman Ali Agha climbed to 19th.

However, Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood and vice-captain Saud Shakeel faced declines. Masood dropped two places to 59th, while Shakeel fell to 9th.

Shaheen Shah Afridi held firm at 15th in the Test Bowling Rankings, while spin bowlers Noman Ali and Sajid Khan maintained their respective positions.