Shaheen Shah Afridi replaced as top-ranked ODI bowler

DUBAI: Pakistan’s star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has lost his spot at the top of the ICC men’s ODI bowling rankings, with Afghanistan’s leg-spinner Rashid Khan taking over the number-one position in the latest update on Wednesday.

Shaheen, who dominated the rankings after taking eight wickets at an average of 12.62 during Pakistan’s historic ODI series win against Australia, was rested for the ongoing series against Zimbabwe. South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj retained his position in third place.

Meanwhile, Haris Rauf, Shaheen’s bowling partner and the Player of the Series in Pakistan’s 2-1 victory over Australia, also saw a drop in rankings, falling two spots to 15th.

Pakistan’s rising star Saim Ayub made a significant leap in the ODI batting rankings. After his blistering century in Pakistan’s 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second ODI, Saim climbed 80 spots to secure the 90th position. The batting chart continues to be led by Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

In the Test rankings, India’s Jasprit Bumrah reclaimed the top spot among bowlers following a standout performance in the opening Test against Australia in Perth. Bumrah’s match-winning figures of 8/72 helped India secure a massive 295-run victory and pushed him ahead of Australia’s Josh Hazlewood and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. Bumrah now has a career-high 883 rating points, the highest for an Indian pacer in Test cricket.

This marks Bumrah’s third stint at the top of the Test rankings this year, following similar achievements in February and October. Only spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (904) and Ravindra Jadeja (899) have achieved higher ratings for India.

On the batting side, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli made significant gains after scoring centuries in their remarkable win over Australia. Jaiswal rose to a career-best second position, overtaking England’s Harry Brook and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, with only Joe Root ahead of him. Kohli jumped nine spots to claim 13th place.