Pakistan Cricket Team two batsmen reach top ten of ICC Rankings

Pakistan Cricket Team two batsmen reach top ten of ICC Rankings

ISLAMABAD: (APP) Two Pakistani players ODI Skipper Azhar Ali and Younus Khan are included in the top ten of the latest MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, released on Tuesday.

Azhar is ranked 7th with 779 points while Younus is on 8th position with 772 points, said an ICC press release issued here.

South Africa's Hashim Amla, who while scoring 134 became the eighth batsman to score a century in his 100th Test, has jumped four places to claim sixth position, while JP Duminy, who scored 155 and added 292 runs for the third wicket with Amla, has vaulted nine places to secure a career-high 33rd position.

Captain Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar, who won the player of the series award, finished in joint-21st position.

South Africa's fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, has earned a rise of three places which has puts him in fifth position in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers.

Radaba is now South Africa's highest-ranked bowler, one place ahead of Dale Steyn who missed the series due to an injury. Rabada leads Steyn by two points and trails Sri Lanka's fourth-ranked spinner Rangana Herath by six points.

For Sri Lanka, fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, has leaped six places to a career-best 33rd spot.

South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 118 runs in Johannesburg, which gave it a 3-0 series win. The result means third-ranked South Africa has gained four points and has moved up to 107 points, two behind Australia, while seventh-ranked Sri Lanka has dropped four points to finish on 92 points.

Shakib Al Hasan, who scored 217 (highest individual score by a Bangladesh batsman in Test cricket) has achieved a career-high ranking of 23rd after jumping eight places, while captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 159 and put on 359 runs for the fifth wicket with Shakib, has risen 10 places to claim 35th position.

New Zealand's opener Tom Latham has climbed five places to 31st. After New Zealand was set a victory target of 217 runs, captain Kane Williamson has earned 29 points.

Although the Test team rankings are updated at the end of a series, New Zealand has placed itself nicely to move ahead of Pakistan in team rankings.

If New Zealand wins the Test, then it will move one point ahead of Pakistan, while in case of a draw, it will join Pakistan on 97 points but will be behind by a fraction of a point.