LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) released its latest ODI bowlers’ rankings, with South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj reclaiming the No. 1 spot and no Pakistani player featuring in the top ten.
The update follows both the South Africa–Australia ODI series and the West Indies–Pakistan clashes. Despite strong performances at Brian Lara Cricket ground, Pakistan’s pacer Shaheen Afridi also failed to break into the top ten. Afridi now has a record 132 wickets from just 65 ODIs after the series against the West Indies.
Maharaj surged to the top on the back of his maiden ODI five-wicket haul against Australia in Cairns on Tuesday. The left-armer’s figures of 5/33 not only secured South Africa a commanding 98-run victory but also pushed him two places ahead of Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana (second) and India’s Kuldeep Yadav (third).
The spinner first reached the No. 1 ranking in November 2023, displacing India’s Mohammed Siraj during the Men’s Cricket World Cup. Since then, Maharaj has consistently remained inside the top five before reclaiming the premier spot in the latest update.
ICC ODI batting ranking
In the ODI batting ranking, Pakistan’s seasoned batter Babar Azam also dropped to third place, the first time since 2020 that he has been outside the top two.
Keshav Maharaj takes 5 wickets as South Africa beats Australia
Babar struggled in the West Indies ODI series however failed to score a single half-century. His highest score in the opening match of the series remained 47 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. He was dismissed for a duck and nine runs in the remaining two games.
In the latest rankings, India’s ODI captain Rohit Sharma climbed to second place despite not playing any recent matches, while Babar slipped to third.
The updated ICC lists also brought disappointment for Pakistan in the T20I format, with no Men in Green making the top positions. Indian batters dominated the chart, with Abhishek Sharma taking the top spot in T20Is. The Indian team also retained the lead at the top of the ODI rankings, boasting a rating of 124 points after playing 36 matches.
ICC ODI team ranking
Pakistan fell one spot to fifth position in the latest ODI team rankings, following a series of mixed results.
The new rankings show Pakistan holding as rating of 102 points based on 34 matches played. This marks a dip from their previous position, ceded to Sri Lanka who climbed to fourth with a rating of 103 from 39 matches.
