Pakistan batters Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan and former captain Shan Masood have made notable gains in the latest ICC Test rankings, while spinner Ali Usman has also climbed the bowling standings following the recent England-Pakistan and Australia-Bangladesh series.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has become the world’s No.1 ranked Test bowler for the first time in his career, ending Jasprit Bumrah’s long reign at the top of the ICC Men’s Test Bowler Rankings.
The 36-year-old Starc climbed two places following his outstanding performance against Bangladesh, where he claimed 10 wickets in the second Test in Mackay and was named Player of the Series.
Bumrah, who first reached the No.1 position in February 2024, dropped to second after missing India’s ongoing World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka. New Zealand pacer Matt Henry slipped to third.
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Starc has spent much of his 15-year Test career among the world’s top 10 bowlers and recently moved into the top three after strong performances against England in the Ashes. However, his latest rise marks the first time he has occupied the No.1 spot.
Australia captain Pat Cummins moved to fourth after taking six wickets against Bangladesh, while spinner Nathan Lyon climbed to 10th.
England’s Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue also made significant gains after combining for 16 wickets against Pakistan in Leeds, moving to 11th and 17th respectively.
Meanwhile, Harry Brook remains the top-ranked Test batter, followed by Joe Root, Steve Smith and Travis Head. India’s Rishabh Pant climbed six places to joint-seventh. Babar Azam has retained his 10th position with 709 rating points.
Rizwan, despite underwhelming performances in recent matches, has climbed one place to 26th with 629 points, while Shafique has made a notable seven-place jump to 27th.





