Afridi reclaims ODI top spot, Babar extends lead

News Desk

Islamabad: Pakistan has received a significant boost ahead of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy with pace bowler Shaheen Afridi reclaiming the No.1 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Bowler Rankings.

Afridi’s remarkable performance against Australia, taking eight wickets at an average of 12.62, propelled him to the top, displacing South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj. Pakistan’s Haris Rauf also climbed 14 spots to reach a career-high 13th position, following his 10-wicket, Player of the Series performance against Australia.

Pakistan now holds the top-ranked players in both batting and bowling, with former captain Babar Azam increasing his lead as the No.1 ODI batter after scoring 80 runs in the recent series. The ascent of Afridi and Babar bodes well for Pakistan’s preparations for the Champions Trophy. New skipper Mohammad Rizwan also moved up two spots to tie at 23rd after his solid contributions against Australia.

Other notable ODI ranking updates include Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto rising 11 spots to tie for 23rd among batters, while Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and West Indies’ Gudakesh Motie achieved career highs.

Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi continues to lead ODI all-rounders, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz moving to fourth.

The latest T20I rankings also saw shifts, with England’s Phil Salt moving up to second among batters, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga jumping to second among bowlers, and England’s Liam Livingstone retaining his top spot among T20I all-rounders.