DUBAI: Pakistan all-rounder Agha Salman has made a significant leap in the latest ICC Test rankings, climbing eight places to 14th with 684 rating points following his standout performances in the ongoing three-match series against England. This rise underscores his growing impact within Pakistan’s Test setup.
In contrast, former captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan saw notable declines. Babar dropped four spots from 15th to 19th, now holding 677 rating points after a series of lackluster performances in shorter formats. Rizwan fell to 21st place with 669 points.
Another Pakistani batter, Saud Shakeel, dropped seven positions to 27th with 642 points, while Abdullah Shafique slipped to 43rd with 548 points.
On the bowling side, Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi maintained his 14th position with 674 rating points. Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, key contributors to Pakistan’s second Test win, made significant gains. Noman moved up to 17th with 677 rating points, while Sajid jumped 22 places to reach 50th with 387 points.
The rankings saw some movement at the top, particularly among players from India and New Zealand. India’s Rishabh Pant made a notable return, climbing three spots to 6th in the Test batter rankings, following scores of 20 and 99 against New Zealand, moving ahead of teammate Virat Kohli, who is now tied for 8th.
England’s Joe Root remains the top-ranked Test batter, while India is represented in the top 10 by Pant (6th), Yashasvi Jaiswal (4th), and Kohli (8th).
For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra surged 36 places to 18th, and Devon Conway rose to 36th. On the bowling front, Matt Henry’s impressive eight-wicket haul against India propelled him to a career-high ranking of 9th.
