Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has risen two spots to claim the fifth position in the latest ICC ODI Bowler Rankings, as announced on Wednesday. This improvement comes after his impressive performance in the first ODI match against Australia in Melbourne, where he took two important wickets, dismissing openers Matthew Short and Josh Inglis. Although Shaheen’s efforts were notable, Pakistan ultimately fell short in a closely contested game against the Australian team. Meanwhile, Australia’s Mitchell Starc also made gains in the rankings, moving up four spots to reach 14th place.
In other ranking updates, Pakistan’s Babar Azam continues to lead the ODI batting rankings with 822 points, with India’s Rohit Sharma following at 765 points. In the all-rounder category, Scotland’s Brandon McMullen made notable progress, moving up three spots to reach sixth place. Pakistani players Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, and Babar Azam have also improved in the Test batting rankings, although none have broken into the top 10. Additionally, India’s Rishabh Pant and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell advanced in the ICC Men’s Test Batter Rankings after standout performances in the recent third Test. New Zealand achieved a 3-0 series sweep over India with a narrow 25-run win in Mumbai, further impacting the rankings and the top 10 lineup for Test batters.
