Mushfiqur Rahim achieves career-best ranking
Veteran Bangladesh batter Mushfiqur Rahim achieved a career-best ICC Test batting ranking, rising to 17th place after his impressive knock of 191 against Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi, which Bangladesh won by 10 wickets last week.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, who hit a century and a half-century in the same match, climbed seven spots to reach a career-high ranking, breaking into the top 10 at joint 10th.
In other rankings updates, Harry Brook made significant strides among England’s batters. Although veteran Joe Root maintained his position as the world’s No.1 ranked Test batter following England’s opening Test win against Sri Lanka in Manchester, Brook surged three places to fourth overall after scores of 56 and 32 in the Old Trafford match. This leap saw the 25-year-old surpass Pakistan’s Babar Azam, Australia’s Steve Smith, and India’s Rohit Sharma due to his excellent recent form.
Babar Azam, on the other hand, fell six spots to ninth after a rare failure in the first innings of Pakistan’s Test against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal (up four places to 23rd) and Kamindu Mendis (up eight places to 36th), along with England’s newcomer Jamie Smith (up 22 places to 42nd), also improved their Test batter rankings.
On the bowling side, India’s Ravichandran Ashwin remained atop the rankings for Test bowlers, while Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya moved up to ninth after claiming five wickets in Manchester against England. England seamer Chris Woakes climbed four places to 16th, and Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando made a big leap, rising 10 spots to 17th. Pakistan’s Naseem Shah (up four places to 33rd) and England’s Gus Atkinson (up four spots to 42nd) also reached new career-best rankings after strong recent performances.
Woakes also climbed one place to eighth in the Test all-rounder rankings, with India’s Ravindra Jadeja continuing to lead the category.
