Dubai: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has returned to the top of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings, overtaking South Africa’s Marco Jansen following an outstanding performance in the third and final Test between Australia and South Africa in Cape Town.
Starc’s impressive nine-wicket match haul at Newlands helped him climb one position and reclaim the No.1 ranking among Test bowlers. The left-arm pacer had first reached the summit in August, ending India’s Jasprit Bumrah’s reign, before Jansen moved ahead following his impressive performance in the second Test at Gqeberha.
However, Jansen managed just three wickets in the Cape Town encounter, allowing Starc to regain the leading position and achieve a new career-best rating in the latest ICC rankings update.
Simon Harmer Makes Big Jump
South Africa’s victory in the series finale also brought significant rewards for off-spinner Simon Harmer, who produced a match-winning performance.
Harmer claimed six wickets in Australia’s second innings to help the Proteas secure victory and the series. His impressive display earned him a nine-place jump to seventh in the latest Test Bowling Rankings, moving him ahead of teammate Kagiso Rabada.
Despite losing his position at the top of the bowling charts, Jansen strengthened his hold on the ICC Men’s Test All-Rounder Rankings, reaching a new career-high rating.
South Africa continued to dominate the all-rounder rankings, with Wiaan Mulder climbing one position to third and Harmer moving up three places to fifth.
There was also progress for South African batters. Aiden Markram advanced to 11th, while Mulder climbed seven places to 17th. Ryan Rickelton was among the biggest gainers, jumping 25 positions to 23rd and registering a new career-best rating.
Australia Batters Also Climb
Australia’s Cameron Green and Alex Carey also benefited from the latest rankings update following their performances in the Test series.
Green moved up three places to share 19th position in the Test Batting Rankings, while Carey gained two spots to join him at the same position.
West Indies batter Justin Greaves was another notable mover after his team’s impressive victory over Bangladesh in the opening Test in Mirpur. Greaves climbed 12 places to share 38th position, achieving a new career-best ranking.
The Caribbean side registered a convincing eight-wicket victory, with their bowlers and all-rounders also making progress.
Jomel Warrican advanced six places to 30th in the Test Bowling Rankings, while Roston Chase gained eight positions to share 23rd in the Test All-Rounder Rankings.
Pakistan Pacers Shine in ODI Rankings
The recently concluded ODI tri-series in Pakistan brought notable changes to the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings, with the host nation’s fast bowlers leading the movement.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi climbed one position to fifth among ODI bowlers, while fellow fast bowler Haris Rauf made an impressive five-place jump to reach 24th.
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman also made progress, moving up nine places to 37th in the ODI Batting Rankings.
England opener Ben Duckett climbed one position to sixth, while Sri Lanka’s Pavan Rathnayake was among the biggest gainers, surging 20 places to 16th.
Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Phillips Make T20I Progress
India captain Shreyas Iyer was among the leading movers in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Rankings following India’s series triumph in New Zealand.
Iyer gained two places to reach seventh in the T20I Batting Rankings, strengthening his position among the leading batters in the shortest international format.
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips also made progress, climbing 13 places to 24th among T20I batters.
His teammates Mitchell Santner and Jacob Duffy registered gains in the bowling rankings. Santner moved up two positions to fifth, while Duffy made a significant 23-place jump to reach 23rd.
Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai also continued his rise in international cricket, moving up three places to third in the T20I All-Rounder Rankings after being named Player of the Series during Afghanistan’s recent series victory over Zimbabwe in the UAE.
The latest ICC rankings update reflects significant movement across all three formats, with Starc reclaiming the Test bowling summit and players from South Africa, Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Afghanistan strengthening their positions across different categories.
