DUBAI: Pakistan quick Shaheen Afridi has moved into the top five on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for the first time, with Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne’s golden run with the bat reflected with a move into the top ten.
Afridi’s seven-wicket performance in Pakistan’s eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh was the catalyst in his rankings climb, with the left-armer enjoying a glittering year across all three formats.
Afridi moved up three places into the top five overtaking James Anderson, Kagiso Rabada and Neil Wagner, while Pakistan teammate Hasan Ali also makes a climb thanks to a seven-wicket match of his own. He sits just outside the top 10 in 11th, a career high.
A new player to enter the bowling top ten was New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson, moving up six places to ninth off the back of his two three-wicket hauls against India in Kanpur. He joins compatriots Tim Southee (3rd) and Neil Wagner (6th).
Other bowlers to enjoy marked rankings climbs include India’s Axar Patel (up seven spots to 28th), Ramesh Mendis (up 28 spots to 57th) and Sajid Khan (up 19 spots to 99th)
On the batting side New Zealand’s Tom Latham joined Karunaratne in returns to the top ten thanks to strong performances against India and the West Indies respectively.
Karunaratne was adjudged Player of the Match in the first Test in Galle with scores of 147 and 83, lifting him four places to seventh, just one below his career-best sixth position attained in August 2019. Sri Lanka teammates Angelo Mathews (up two places to 23rd) and Dinesh Chandimal (up four places to 46th) also moved upwards.
Latham made half-centuries in both innings of the first Test (95 and 52) to save a draw for the Blackcaps, with teammate Will Young’s 89 in the first innings earning him a 26-place rise to 77th. —Agencies

KR Desk