Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Abbas Make Strides in Latest ICC Test Rankings

Pakistan's middle-order batter jumps 15 places while veteran seamer breaks into Top 15 despite team's Lord's defeat.

September 2, 2026 at 6:44 PM
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DUBAI: Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Abbas have made significant gains in the latest ICC Men’s Test Rankings, with the left-handed batter leaping 15 places to 18th position and the experienced seamer climbing 10 spots to secure 15th place in the bowling charts following their impressive performances in the Lord’s Test against England.

Shakeel’s gutsy 97-run knock during the second innings of the fixture, which Pakistan lost by 194 runs, earned him well-deserved recognition as he vaulted up the batting rankings.

The middle-order batter’s resilience with the bat stood out on a challenging English surface and provided one of the few bright moments for the visitors in an otherwise disappointing outing.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Abbas continued his stellar run on the England tour, adding to his growing reputation as a master of seam bowling.

The 36-year-old right-arm seamer, who has taken 10 wickets in three innings at a remarkable average of 20.80, jumped 10 places to break into the Top 15 of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings, underlining his consistent ability to trouble opposition batters with immaculate line and length.

Amidst these positive developments for Pakistan, captain Babar Azam crashed out of the Top 10 of the batting rankings after his below-par performance in the Lord’s fixture.

Babar, who missed the series opener in Leeds due to an injury, returned for the second Test but managed single-digit scores of eight and six in the two innings, respectively. His inability to score big resulted in him slipping down five places to now hold the 15th spot in the rankings, which continue to be led by England’s Harry Brook, while his compatriot Joe Root was replaced by Australian counterpart Steve Smith at the second position.

Read Also: Mohammad Abbas Enters Lord’s Honours Board with Five-Wicket Haul

Besides Babar, three other Pakistan players, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Shan Masood, also suffered setbacks in the Test batting rankings. Amongst the senior trio, wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan endured the worst downfall as he descended seven places and is now ranked 33rd.

Agha and Masood, on the other hand, both slipped down three spots to 41st and 43rd positions, respectively, reflecting the batting unit’s collective struggles on English soil.

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