Shaheen Afridi regains top position in ICC ODI bowling rankings

Afridi has unseated South African spinner Keshav Maharaj from the top of the rankings, with Maharaj dropping two to third while Afghanistan's Rashid Khan holds steady in second. This isn’t Afridi’s first time at the top as he first reached it during ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023. Meanwhile, Haris Rauf has soared 14 spots to 13th after taking 10 wickets and earning Player of the Series honours against Australia.

On the batting front, former captain Babar Azam strengthened his lead at the top of the rankings, thanks to his 80 runs across the three ODIs against Australia, in which he was dismissed only once. Pakistan’s new captain, Mohammad Rizwan, also advanced two spots, reaching a career-best equal 23rd position among ODI batters after scoring 74 runs in the series.

Beyond Pakistan, players from several other nations also advanced in the rankings across formats. Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto climbed 11 places to reach equal 23rd, while Afghanistan's all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai moved up to equal 31st among ODI batters. In the ODI bowling rankings, West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie rose to 14th, and Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Miraz gained nine spots to reach equal 23rd. Afghanistan’s veteran Mohammad Nabi held onto his top position among ODI all-rounders, while Mehidy progressed to fourth, and Omarzai moved up to ninth in the latest rankings.