Babar drops six places, Rizwan makes big leap in latest Test rankings
Cricket
Rizwan achieves career-high ranking to enter the list of top 10 Test batsmen
(Dunya News) – Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan entered the top 10 Test batters on the back of his solid performance in the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.
The updated ICC Test rankings showed Rizwan moved up seven spots to achieve the new career-high rating. He had scored unbeaten 171 runs against Bangladesh in the first innings.
Babar Azam, on the other hand, dropped a whopping six places to fall from equal third to ninth following a rare failure in the first innings of Pakistan against Bangladesh.
Harry Brook rose three places to fourth overall, with the 25-year-old catapulting past Pakistan's Babar Azam, Australia's Steve Smith and India's Rohit Sharma courtesy his strong recent form.
Veteran right-hander Joe Root maintained his place as No1 Test batter in the world following England's success in the opening Test of their series against Sri Lanka in Manchester. Teammate Brook has made a massive jump on the back of scores of 56 and 32 during that Old Trafford contest.
Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel is not far behind after he gained one place to move to 13th overall on the back of his own century against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh right-hander Mushfiqur Rahim has achieved a career-high rating as he gains seven spots to move to 17th, while Sri Lanka duo Dinesh Chandimal (up four places to 23rd) and Kamindu Mendis (up eight rungs to 36th) and England newcomer Jamie Smith (up 22 to 42nd) also moved up in the Test batter rankings.
Indian tweaker Prabath Jayasuriya moved up one place to ninth for Sri Lanka following his five wickets in Manchester against England.
England seamer Chris Woakes (up four rungs to 16th) and Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando (up 10 spots to 17th) also gained some ground, while there are new career-best ratings for Pakistan right-armer Naseem Shah (up four spots to 33rd) and England's Gus Atkinson (up four places to 42nd) following good returns from their recent appearances.
Woakes also improved one place to move up to eight on the list for Test all-rounders, with India spinner Ravindra Jadeja out in front of that category.
