Shaheen Afridi reclaims top spot in ICC ODI Bowling Rankings
What's the story
Pakistan's cricket team has been handed a major boost ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in the nation. Their spearhead fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi, has regained the top spot in the latest ICC ODI Rankings for bowlers. The achievement comes after Afridi's stellar performance in Pakistan's recent series win over Australia Down Under, where he picked up eight wickets in three matches at an average of 12.62.
Ranking shift
Afridi's performance propels him to top spot
Afridi's brilliant show against Australia saw him jump three spots in the rankings, pushing South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj down. Maharaj has slipped two spots to third while Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan remains at second. This isn't Afridi's first time at the top of these rankings. He first achieved the feat midway through last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India.
Team progress
Other Pakistani players also rise in rankings
Afridi's teammate Haris Rauf has also made a giant leap in the rankings, jumping 14 places to 13th overall. This is a new career-high for Rauf, who took 10 wickets and was named Player of the Series against Australia. Another Pakistani player, Naseem Shah, has jumped 14 rungs to equal 55th, a new career-best mark for him.
Dual dominance
Pakistan dominate batting and bowling rankings
With Afridi's ascent to the summit, Pakistan now have a top-ranked player in both batting and bowling in ODI cricket. Former captain Babar Azam has also extended his lead at the top of the batter charts after scoring 80 runs against Australia while getting out just once. This dual dominance augurs well for Pakistan as they gear up for next year's Champions Trophy event.
Skipper's progress
Skipper Rizwan also makes gains in rankings
Pakistan's new captain Mohammad Rizwan has also gained in the ODI batting rankings, moving up two places to joint 23rd. This is after his stellar performance of scoring 74 runs in Australia. Other notable gains have been made by Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, both of whom have moved up in the list for ODI batters.