DUBAI: Pakistani Test player Saud Shakeel achieved a significant milestone on Wednesday by entering the top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings.
According to the ICC’s official ranking, Shakeel made an impressive leap of 20 spots to secure the seventh position. His outstanding performance in the recent Test series against England on home soil played a crucial role in this achievement.
Pakistan celebrated a memorable victory in the third Test, winning the three-match series 2-1. The team took a substantial first-innings lead of 77 runs on a spin-friendly pitch.
Shakeel’s highest rating to date is 724, with a career-best rating of 728 achieved during a match against Australia in Melbourne in 2023.
England’s Joe Root continues to lead the rankings, followed by New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, England’s Harry Brook, and Australia’s Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja ahead of Shakeel. Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis, and New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra occupy the eighth, ninth, and tenth spots, respectively, with Ravindra climbing eight ranks to break into the top 10.
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Indian star Virat Kohli has dropped to 14th, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam has moved up to 18th.
Moreover, Pakistan’s Test bowler Noman Ali has entered the ICC’s top 10 Test bowlers, rising eight places to ninth. Meanwhile, Shaheen Shah Afridi has fallen from 14th to 15th.
South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada is the top Test bowler, having moved up three places, with India’s Jasprit Bumrah in third.
