Latest ICC Test Rankings: Pakistani Players Drop in Positions

Latest ICC Test Rankings: Pakistani Players Drop in Positions

Pakistan’s position in the latest ICC Test rankings has taken a noticeable hit, with many of its players slipping in their respective categories. One of the main reasons behind this drop is the team’s lack of upcoming red-ball matches, which affects players’ chances to earn ranking points and showcase their skills in Test cricket.

For the next two months, Pakistan’s cricket schedule is focused only on white-ball games, including series against Bangladesh and the West Indies. Since there are no Test matches during this period, Pakistani players may continue to slide further in the rankings due to inactivity.

The national team is set to begin its ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 campaign with a home series against South Africa. This series is expected to take place between October and November this year and will be crucial for Pakistan to regain ground in the rankings.

Batting Rankings: Big Names See a Decline

In the batting category, several Pakistani stars have seen their positions fall:

  • Saud Shakeel, who had been performing well, is no longer in the top 10. He slipped one position to 11th place with a total of 739 rating points.
  • Mohammad Rizwan, the team’s wicketkeeper-batter, dropped three spots and is now at 19th place with 671 points.
  • Babar Azam, Pakistan’s former captain and one of the most popular batters, managed to hold his 22nd position, standing at 651 rating points.
  • Salman Ali Agha, known for his all-round abilities, has remained consistent. He continues to stay at 33rd place with 592 points.
  • Shan Masood, the current Test captain, has shown some improvement. He moved up three spots to reach 44th place with 542 points.
  • Abdullah Shafique is holding on to the 51st position.
  • Kamran Ghulam dropped two places and now ranks 76th.
  • Young opener Saim Ayub also went down two places, currently sitting at 83rd with 352 points.

Indian Batter Rishabh Pant on the Rise

While Pakistani players are struggling, India’s Rishabh Pant is making headlines with his excellent performance in Test cricket. In the recent match against England, Pant scored two brilliant centuries—134 and 118—which helped him climb up the rankings.

With this performance, he reached sixth place in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, gaining a career-best rating of 801 points. He is now just behind England’s Joe Root, who is at the top with 889 points. Pant is only one spot away from matching his career-high ranking of fifth, which he last achieved in 2022.

Joe Root remains the No.1 Test batter after scoring 28 and an unbeaten 53 in the match at Headingley. He is followed closely by his teammate Harry Brook, who is just 15 points behind. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson is ranked third with 867 points.

Bowling Rankings: Mixed Results for Pakistan

In the bowling department, Pakistani players have also experienced ups and downs:

  • Noman Ali has dropped one spot to now sit at 5th place with 806 points. He remains Pakistan’s highest-ranked Test bowler.
  • Sajid Khan kept his 20th position.
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi is just behind him at 21st, with 641 points.
  • Mohammad Abbas has made a small move upward, reaching 26th place.
  • Naseem Shah also climbed one spot to 34th, now having 526 points.
  • Abrar Ahmed, who has shown promise in past matches, dropped one place to 48th.
  • Khurram Shahzad fell two places to 62nd.
  • Aamer Jamal currently holds the 70th spot.

Lower in the rankings:

  • Mir Hamza dropped six places and is now at 92nd.
  • Salman Ali Agha, also included in the bowling list, slipped five spots to 93rd.
  • Zahid Mahmood fell five places and is now ranked 95th.

Top Test Bowlers: India and South Africa Lead

India’s Jasprit Bumrah remains the world’s No.1 ranked Test bowler thanks to his consistent performances. He is followed by Kagiso Rabada from South Africa in second place and Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, in third.

With no Test matches in the near future, Pakistani players have few opportunities to maintain or improve their rankings. The upcoming WTC series against South Africa in October–November will be crucial not just for team points, but also for individual players aiming to move up in the ICC rankings. Until then, fans can expect to see more changes—mostly downward—for Pakistani players in Test cricket.

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Naqqash Khalid

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