KEY POINTS
- Babar Azam and Saim Ayub improved their positions in the T20I batting rankings.
- Opener Sahibzada Farhan maintained a career-high fifth place.
- Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Haris all fell in batting rankings.
- Spinner Abrar Ahmed rose to joint-fourth among bowlers, nearing the top three.
DUBAI: Pakistan’s top-order batters and lead spinner have made notable advances in the latest update to the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, providing a positive note ahead of T20I World Cup.
In the T20I batting rankings, Babar Azam moved up one place to 31st position, while the dynamic Saim Ayub rose two spots to 35th.
Opener Sahibzada Farhan held firm in a career-high fifth place with 763 rating points, and captain Salman Ali Agha remained steady at 41st.
The rankings reflected a downturn for several other established names. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, currently out of the T20I squad, dropped two places to 61st.
Fellow opener Fakhar Zaman fell three spots to 69th, while Mohammad Haris also slipped three places to 95th.
The rankings continue to be led by India’s Abhishek Sharma, with England’s Phil Salt in second.
Abrar nears top three bowlers
A significant gain came in the bowling charts, where mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed ascended one place to joint-fourth, sharing the position with New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy.
He now sits just behind third-placed Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka. India’s Varun Chakaravarthy and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan retain the top two spots.
The update showed varied fortunes for Pakistan’s other bowlers.
While all-rounder Salman Mirza improved one spot to 18th and spinner Sufiyan Muqeem rose to 33rd, left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz fell two places to 15th.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi held his 24th position, but Haris Rauf dropped one place to 57th.
The movement comes as Pakistan prepares for its final T20I series ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, with players vying for form and selection in the global tournament.
