Pakistan's comprehensive clean sweep against Sri Lanka in the recent ODI series has yielded significant dividends in the latest International Cricket Council rankings update. The national team's dominant performance has propelled several players up the global charts, highlighting the squad's growing strength in international cricket.
Bowlers Make Impressive Gains
The most remarkable advancement came from spinner Abrar Ahmed, who made one of the biggest jumps in the rankings. The talented bowler surged an impressive 11 places to break into the elite top 10, now occupying the ninth position in the ICC Men's ODI Bowler Rankings. His standout performance throughout the three-match series against Sri Lanka earned him this well-deserved recognition.
Pacer Haris Rauf also demonstrated his growing prowess by climbing five places to reach the 23rd spot. This upward movement further reinforces Pakistan's reputation as a team with formidable bowling resources capable of challenging any opposition in world cricket.
Batting Department Shows Improvement
The team's success was not limited to bowling alone, as the batting department also showed significant improvement in the rankings. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan and explosive opener Fakhar Zaman both rose five positions each in the batting charts.
Rizwan now shares the 22nd position jointly with another player, while Fakhar Zaman has climbed to 26th place. These improvements reflect the balanced nature of Pakistan's recent performances, where both batting and bowling units contributed equally to the team's success.
T20I Rankings Also See Positive Movement
In the T20I format, all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz enjoyed a significant boost following his Player of the Match performance against Zimbabwe in the home tri-series. Nawaz jumped four places to 27th among bowlers and improved by two positions to claim the eighth spot among all-rounders.
His contributions of an unbeaten 21 runs and two crucial wickets in Rawalpindi demonstrated his value to the team across multiple departments, earning him well-deserved recognition in the global rankings.
While Afghanistan's Rashid Khan maintains his position as the world's number one ODI bowler, Pakistan's strong collective displays have enabled multiple players to record significant improvements. The team's consistent performances are gradually reshaping the international cricket landscape and establishing Pakistan as a force to reckon with in limited-overs cricket.
