Sarfraz, Shafiq rankings improve despite defeat in Cape Town Test

Most of the Pakistan players have seen their rankings improved despite the team facing a crushing nine-wicket defeat against South Africa in the recently concluded Cape Town Test.

Middle-order batsman Asad Shafiq has benefitted by five places to reach 24th position in the International Cricket Could (ICC) Test rankings for batsman after scores of 20 and 88 in both innings during the Cape Town Test, whereas captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has moved up from 42nd to 37th place after scoring a fighting half-century in the first innings of the same match.

Young Babar Azam claimed two spots and reached to 25th position after an impressive half-century in the second innings, while left-handed opener Shan Masood has moved up 22 places to a career-best 65th after becoming the highest run-getting in the series so far.

On the bowling front, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi has gained 13 slots to reach 60th place after taking four wickets in the match, whereas pacer Mohammad Abbas lost one spot and is now placed on the sixth position.

For South Africa, right-handed opener Aiden Markram has moved back into the top 10 after his knock of 78 in Cape Town which helped him gain seven spots.

Middle-order batsman Temba Bavuma has moved into the top 30 for the first time after his score of 75 while captain Faf du Plessis’s first-innings century has lifted him six places to 16th position.

India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has attained new highs after his superb century against Australia in the fourth Test.

The 21-year-old has gained 21 slots and reached 17th place, the joint-highest by a specialist India wicketkeeper along with Farokh Engineer, who did so in January 1973.

Right-handed batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored 521 runs to help beat Australia 2-1 and claim the player of the series award, is another batsman to gain in the latest rankings update as he reached the third spot.