Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi can now lay claim to be the best ODI bowler in the world after the Pakistan spearhead capped off an impressive start to the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup by rising to the No 1 ranking on the latest ODI bowling rankings.
Afridi has been in sensational touch for Pakistan at the Cricket World Cup and is currently the joint leading wicket-taker for the tournament alongside Australia spinner Adam Zampa, with the duo having taken 16 scalps apiece.
The tall left-armer took another three wickets during Pakistan's emphatic triumph over Bangladesh in Kolkata on Tuesday to keep his side's semi-final hopes alive, and it also helped catapult the 23-year-old past nine of his contemporaries to claim the mantle as the No 1 ranked ODI bowler. Men's ODI Bowling Rankings
Australia's Josh Hazlewood (second), India's Mohammed Siraj (third) and South Africa's Keshav Maharaj (fourth) all lose one place courtesy of Afridi's nine-spot jump, with spin duo Kuldeep Yadav (seventh) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (eighth) both gaining two places inside the top 10.
It is the first time that Afridi has held the No 1 ranking in any format and means Pakistan players simultaneously cling on to the top spot in two ODI categories as skipper Babar Azam maintains his narrow lead at the head of the corresponding batting list.
But Babar's lead at the top of the ODI batter rankings is down to just two rating points, with the Pakistan captain almost paying the price for an innings of just nine runs against Bangladesh.
The right-hander has a total of 216 runs from seven innings at the World Cup and his closest challenger in India's Shubman Gill has not yet been able to capitalise with just 104 runs from four knocks.