Pakistan’s premier fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s ODI Bowler Rankings, a spot he initially held during last year’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Afridi’s recent performance in Pakistan’s victorious series against Australia, where he claimed eight wickets across three games at an impressive average of 12.62, helped propel him to the top spot once more. Afridi’s rise comes as part of a reshuffling in the rankings, with South Africa’s spinner Keshav Maharaj slipping to third and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan maintaining his position at second.
Afridi’s dominance on the field, combined with Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s leading spot in the ODI batting rankings, makes Pakistan the only team with the No.1-ranked player in both ODI batting and bowling.
Babar, who scored 80 runs against Australia with only one dismissal, continues to hold the top batter rankings. Afridi wasn’t the only Pakistani bowler making strides. Haris Rauf surged up the ranks to reach a career-best 13th spot, following his Player of the Series performance against Australia with 10 wickets.
Naseem Shah also achieved a new career-high, advancing 14 spots to 55th overall. Additionally, Pakistan’s new ODI captain, Mohammad Rizwan, climbed to 23rd on the batting charts after a series against Australia.