Dubai, July 2, 2025: Pakistan’s standing in the latest ICC Men’s Test rankings has declined, with several players losing ground due to a lack of red-ball cricket in the immediate calendar. The national side is not scheduled to play any Test matches over the next two months, with only white-ball series against Bangladesh and the West Indies lined up. This inactivity is likely to contribute to further stagnation or decline in player rankings.
Pakistan will begin their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 campaign with a home series against South Africa in October–November.
Among the notable changes in the batting rankings, middle-order batter Saud Shakeel has fallen one spot to 11th, now holding 739 rating points and exiting the top 10. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan dropped three positions to 19th with 671 points. Former captain Babar Azam maintained his 22nd position with 651 points. Salman Ali Agha remained steady at 33rd with 592 points, while Test captain Shan Masood climbed three places to reach 44th with 542 points. Abdullah Shafique retained his 51st position, but Kamran Ghulam slipped two spots to 76th. Young opener Saim Ayub also dropped two places and is now ranked 83rd with 352 points.
In contrast, India’s Rishabh Pant made significant progress in the batting charts. After scoring twin centuries—134 and 118—in the opening Test against England, he climbed to sixth place with a career-best 801 rating points. Pant is now just 88 points behind top-ranked batter Joe Root and one place below his personal best fifth position, last achieved in 2022. Root retained the No.1 spot following scores of 28 and an unbeaten 53 at Headingley. His teammate Harry Brook is close behind, trailing by only 15 points. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson remains in third with 867 points.
In the bowling rankings, Pakistan’s Noman Ali slipped one place to fifth with 806 rating points, though he remains the country’s top-ranked Test bowler. Sajid Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi retained their 20th and 21st positions, respectively. Mohammad Abbas moved up one place to 26th, while Naseem Shah climbed to 34th with 526 points. On the other hand, Abrar Ahmed fell one spot to 48th, Khurram Shahzad dropped two places to 62nd, and Aamer Jamal held 70th position. Further down the list, Mir Hamza and Salman Ali Agha fell six and five spots, now ranked 92nd and 93rd, while Zahid Mahmood slipped five positions to 95th.
India’s Jasprit Bumrah continues to lead the ICC Test bowling rankings, followed by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada in second place and Australia’s Pat Cummins in third.
