Dubai, June 3 (IANS) Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed and New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra emerged among the biggest movers in the latest ICC Men’s Player Rankings update, with strong performances in recent international fixtures earning them significant gains across formats.
Abrar achieved a new career milestone in the ODI bowling rankings after his impactful showing against Australia in the recently concluded series. The mystery spinner climbed seven places to fourth position with a rating of 633, the highest ranking of his ODI career.
The 26-year-old’s rise came on the back of consistent wicket-taking displays, including two two-wicket hauls during the series, as bowlers dominated contests in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi also moved upward in the ODI bowling charts. After collecting four wickets across the series, the left-armer advanced four spots to 13th with 593 rating points.
Australia seamer Nathan Ellis enjoyed one of the most notable jumps among bowlers. His six wickets in two matches propelled him 24 places up the rankings to 44th, underlining his growing influence in Australia’s limited-overs setup.
Batters found scoring difficult throughout the Pakistan-Australia series, making Matt Renshaw’s contributions particularly valuable. The Australian left-hander produced innings of 43 and 61, resulting in a dramatic rise of more than 100 places to 78th in the ODI batting rankings.
Several of his teammates also made progress. Josh Inglis climbed three spots to 57th, while Cameron Green moved five places to 63rd following useful contributions with the bat.
In contrast, Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha slipped out of the ODI batting top ten, dropping five places to 14th in the latest standings.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s convincing Test victory over Ireland triggered a reshuffle in the red-ball rankings ahead of the Black Caps’ upcoming World Test Championship assignment against England.
Rachin Ravindra was the standout mover among Test batters. His century against Ireland, a composed 121, lifted him into the top ten for the first time in his career, taking him to ninth place with 737 rating points. The rise marks another landmark achievement for the 26-year-old, whose stock has continued to soar across formats over the past two years.
Fellow New Zealand batter Tom Blundell also reaped rewards by producing the match’s highest score. His innings of 186 helped him gain eight places and move to the 40th position in the Test batting rankings.
Ireland pacer Mark Adair returned to the Test bowling rankings after his efforts against New Zealand, re-entering the list at 24th.
New Zealand’s pace attack also witnessed upward movement, with Nathan Smith jumping 24 spots to 59th, while Blair Tickner climbed nine places to 54th.
–IANS
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