Pakistan Star Players Make Big Moves in Latest ICC ODI Rankings

Recent changes in the ICC Men’s ODI rankings have seen several Pakistani cricketers experience significant shifts in their standing. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Arafat Minhas all managed to improve their positions, while Babar Azam and several others experienced declines.

Shaheen Afridi, the captain of the Pakistani team, made a notable rise in the ODI bowling rankings, climbing two spots to the sixth position. This advancement came after he took eight wickets in four matches during the ongoing tri-series against England and Sri Lanka. Another young spinner, Arafat Minhas, also made considerable progress, leaping 15 places to the 68th position. His rise was fueled by a standout performance where he took six wickets, earning him 435 rating points.

However, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah were among the players who saw their rankings dip. Rauf fell nine places to the 29th position, while Naseem Shah slipped six spots to the 53rd. Abrar Ahmed, who hasn't played in the tri-series yet, dropped one place to the third spot.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan maintained his top position, while South Africa's Keshav Maharaj climbed to second place. In the batting rankings, Babar Azam, who was once a captain of Pakistan, slipped two places to the ninth spot. This was due to his performance of scoring 118 runs in four matches without a major innings. Salman Ali Agha also dropped one place to the 13th position.

All-rounder Mohammad Rizwan, who has been removed from Pakistan's ODI squad, fell eight places to the 42nd spot. Fakhar Zaman, meanwhile, saw his ranking slip two places to the 46th.

Shadab Khan made the biggest advancement among the Pakistani players in the batting rankings, jumping 32 places to the 92nd position. This advancement was thanks to his match-winning century against England.