Pakistan players drop in latest ICC Test rankings

Several Pakistani cricketers have dropped in the latest ICC Test rankings following a string of inconsistent performances in recent series, both at home and away.

Former captain Babar Azam has fallen to 21st place in the Test batting rankings, dropping out of the top 20. He currently has 651 rating points. Despite scoring 193 runs in four innings during the two-Test series in South Africa — including three half-centuries — his poor form against the West Indies, where he managed just 45 runs in four innings, contributed to the decline.

Mohammad Rizwan held on to his 14th position with 671 points, while Salman Ali Agha is ranked 32nd. Shan Masood improved slightly, moving up one spot to 46th with 542 points. Abdullah Shafique also gained ground, rising to 53rd with 520 points.

Among bowlers, Sajid Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi both slipped in the rankings. Sajid is now 22nd, while Shaheen is one place behind at 23rd. Noman Ali retained his spot at 6th, and Mohammad Abbas is 29th. Naseem Shah remained unchanged at 39th.

At the top of the ICC Test rankings, England’s Joe Root remains the No.1 batter, with Harry Brook and Kane Williamson close behind. In the bowling charts, India’s Jasprit Bumrah is ranked first, followed by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.

There was positive movement for Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the all-rounder category. He jumped to second place after scoring 116 runs and taking 15 wickets in a two-match series against Zimbabwe. He now has a career-best 327 rating points, just behind leader Ravindra Jadeja of India.

No Pakistani player features in the top 20 all-rounders.