New Delhi: In a major boost for Pakistan cricket amid the Champions Trophy row, two players from the country are on top of the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI rankings. The cricket’s governing body released the latest ranking on Wednesday which saw ace paceman Shaheen Afridi re-claiming the No.1 ranking in the ODI Bowler Rankings.
Afridi reclaims the top spot in the bowling chart in 50-over cricket on the back of sensational performances during Pakistan’s recent series win over Australia. Afridi destroyed the Aussie batters and took eight wickets across three matches at a splendid average of 12.62.
Afridi displaced South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj, who slipped two spots to third. While Afridi moved up three spots, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan remained static in second.
The left-arm Pakistan pacer previously first held the top spot midway through last year’s ODI World Cup in India but lost his place following some poor outings.
Meanwhile, Afridi’s compatriot Haris Rauf rose 14 places to 13th overall, reaching a new career-high rating following his sensational return of 10 wickets, which helped him win the Player of the Series award against Australia.
Kuldeep Yadav (4th) is the only Indian bowler in the top 10.
Pakistan rules ODI rankings
Afridi’s move to the top means Pakistan now has the No.1 player in both batting and bowling in ODI cricket, with star batter Babar Azam growing his lead at the top of the batting rankings following 80 runs against Australia. Meanwhile, India skipper Rohit Sharma (2nd), Shubman Gill (3rd) and Virat Kohli (3rd) follow Babar in the batting ranking.
.@iShaheenAfridi reclaims the No. 1 position in the ICC ODI bowling rankings! 🦅🥇
Both @babarazam258 and Shaheen occupy the top spot in the ODI batting and bowling rankings, respectively 🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/H5aRaca7oF
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 13, 2024
In T20I bowler rankings, Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga rose four spots to second behind No.1 ranked Adil Rashid. West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein (third) and India’s Ravi Bishnoi (seventh) gained one spot each inside the top 10.
In the T20I batting chart, England duo Phil Salt (second) and Jos Buttler (sixth) moved up a place each inside the top 10 while West Indies’ explosive batter Nicholas Pooran (10th) also rose a rung.
ICC Rankings: Shaheen Shah Afridi displaced South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj, who slipped two spots to third. Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan remained static in second. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
