Pakistan’s cricket faithful have fresh reason to celebrate as two of the nation’s most beloved players have advanced in the International Cricket Council’s Test batting rankings.
Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batter known for his fighting spirit, and Babar Azam, the former national captain whose elegant stroke play has won hearts across the country, have each climbed one spot in the latest rankings update. Rizwan now sits at 20th position while Babar holds 21st place in the global Test batting hierarchy.
The upward movement, though modest, signals positive form for both players who remain central to Pakistan’s red-ball ambitions. Their progress comes at a crucial time as Pakistan continues rebuilding its Test cricket reputation on the world stage.
Elsewhere in the rankings, middle-order stalwarts Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha maintained their positions at 25th and 27th respectively, providing stability in Pakistan’s batting order. However, Test captain Shan Masood experienced a slight setback, dropping one place to 44th with 558 rating points.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq held firm at 52nd position with 522 points, while Abdullah Shafique—who hasn’t featured in Test cricket since facing South Africa in 2025—surprisingly moved up one spot to 54th. Young prospect Abdullah Fazal slipped one place to 97th as he continues his development journey.
At the summit of Test batting, England’s Joe Root maintains his stranglehold on the top position, with compatriot Harry Brook occupying second place. Australia’s explosive Travis Head rounds out the top three.
Pakistan’s bowling contingent showed mixed fortunes in the rankings reshuffle. Spinner Noman Ali retained his impressive seventh position globally with 817 rating points, cementing his status as one of the world’s premier slow bowlers.
Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Abbas both gained ground, each climbing one place to reach 25th and 27th positions respectively. The movement suggests both pacers are finding rhythm and consistency in the longest format.
Spinner Sajid Khan remained steady at 31st, while Hasan Ali holds 38th and Khurram Shahzad sits at 46th. However, spinner Asif Afridi and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha experienced minor setbacks, dropping to 83rd and 90th respectively.
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continues his dominance atop the Test bowling rankings, with Australia’s Mitchell Starc holding second place. Australian captain Pat Cummins has climbed to third, overtaking New Zealand’s Matt Henry in the process.
For Pakistani cricket supporters who scrutinize every ranking movement and performance metric, the gains by Rizwan and Babar offer encouragement. Both players carry enormous expectations whenever Pakistan takes the field, and their upward trajectory in the rankings provides hope that the team’s Test fortunes may be turning a corner.
