DUBAI: The latest ICC Test Batting Rankings saw a significant shift as Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan experienced a decline, while Saud Shakeel rose sharply on the list.
Pakistan recently faced a thrilling two-wicket loss in the first Test of the series against South Africa, which impacted the rankings. Saud Shakeel, despite an early dismissal for 14 runs off 6 balls in the first innings, delivered a solid performance in the second innings, scoring 84 runs against South Africa’s aggressive pace attack. His strong showing led to a three-spot rise, reaching sixth place in the ICC Test Batting Rankings with 764 rating points.
Babar Azam, who ended his half-century drought with a crucial 50 runs off 85 balls in the second innings, saw a two-place drop, settling in the 17th spot with 669 points. Despite his efforts, he got out early for just four runs in the first innings.
Mohammad Rizwan, who continued his struggles in red-ball cricket, managed only 30 runs across both innings, resulting in a two-spot drop to 21st position.
In the Test Bowling Rankings, Pakistan’s spinner Noman Ali and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped one position each, now holding the ninth and eighteenth spots, respectively, after missing the first Test against South Africa.
On a positive note, Naseem Shah gained six spots and moved to 33rd after taking four wickets in the opening Test against South Africa.
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