Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan climb in latest ICC Test rankings | The Express Tribune

Pakistan cricketers experience a ranking boost, with key players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan making notable improvements in the latest ICC Test rankings.

Babar Azam, Pakistan’s white-ball captain, has improved his standing in the Test rankings.

Despite ongoing struggles in the red-ball format, Babar has climbed one position to 11th place, now holding 712 rating points.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batter, has surged back into the top 10, securing the 9th spot with 720 rating points.

However, not all news is positive for Pakistan’s batsmen.

Saud Shakeel has dropped to 21st place with 661 rating points, while all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has fallen to 32nd place with 606 rating points.

On the international front, Sri Lankan cricketers have made significant progress following their surprising Test victory over England at The Oval.

Dhananjaya de Silva has achieved a career-high rating, moving up to 13th in the Test batting rankings after his impressive 69 in the first innings.

Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka also reached career-best ratings, with Mendis climbing to 19th after a notable half-century and Nissanka making a remarkable jump to 39th following innings of 64 and 127*.

England’s Joe Root maintains his position as the No.1 Test batter despite a dip in form in the final Sri Lanka Test, with his rating falling from 922 to 899.

This has allowed New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell, along with Australia’s Steve Smith, to close in on the top spot.

In the bowling rankings, Shaheen Afridi has made a comeback to the top 10, now positioned at 10th with 709 rating points.

Conversely, Hasan Ali has dropped to 34th place with 540 rating points, and Naseem Shah has slid to 37th with 531 rating points.

Sri Lankan bowlers Lahiru Kumara and Milan Rathnayake have also seen improvements, moving to 32nd and 84th places respectively.

England’s Olly Stone has risen to 74th following his three wickets in the first innings against Sri Lanka.

Ravichandran Ashwin of India continues to lead the Test bowling rankings with 870 rating points, followed closely by Australia’s Josh Hazlewood and Jasprit Bumrah, who share the second spot with 847 rating points each.