Pakistani Test player Saud Shakeel achieved a significant milestone on Wednesday, entering the top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings.
According to the ICC’s official ranking, Shakeel made a remarkable leap of 20 spots to secure seventh place.
His impressive performance in the recent Test series against England on home turf was pivotal in this achievement.
Pakistan celebrated a memorable victory by outclassing England in the third Test, claiming the three-match series 2-1. The national side took a substantial first-innings lead of 77 runs on a pitch favouring spinners.
Shakeel’s highest rating is 724, with a career-best of 728 achieved against Australia in Melbourne in 2023.
England’s Joe Root continues to lead the rankings, followed by New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, England’s Harry Brook, and Australia’s Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja ahead of Shakeel. Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis, and New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra occupy the eighth, ninth, and tenth positions, respectively, with Ravindra climbing eight ranks to enter the top 10.
Indian star Virat Kohli has fallen to 14th, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam moved up to 18th. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Test bowler Noman Ali has entered the ICC’s top 10 Test bowlers, rising eight places to ninth.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, however, dropped from 14th to 15th. South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada is the top Test bowler after moving up three places, with India’s Jasprit Bumrah in third.
