Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Only three Pakistanis won places in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankings released on Tuesday.

In the ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, Pakistan’s Younis Khan is placed on 5th position with an average of 53.94 and 826 points followed by Test Skipper Misbahul Haq on the 10th spot with an average of 48.89 and 764 points, said a press release issued here.

In the ICC’s Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, Yasir Shah of Pakistan is ranked 4th with an average of 24.17 and 846 points. However, England’s James Anderson has topped the Rankings for Test Bowlers for the first time in his career after bowling his side to a nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test at Chester-le-Street on Monday.

Other bowlers to improve their rankings post-the Chester-le-Street Test are Nuwan Pradeep (43rd, up by five places), Milinga Siriwardana (50th, up by 13 places) and Chris Woakes (73rd, up by 16 places).

In the batting table, England’s Moeen Ali has achieved a career-high ranking. The left-handed batsman scored 155 not out, his career-best score in 25 Tests, which helped England to declare its first innings at 498 for nine. For this achievement, Ali has earned 82 points that has lifted him 12 places to a career-high 35^th position in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen.

Australia captain Steve Smith is the number-one ranked Test batsman, followed by Joe Root of England and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. The Test player rankings will now be updated after the Lord’s Test between England and Sri Lanka.

Batsmen (top 10) include Steve Smith (Australia, 1st), Joe Root (England, 2nd), Kane Williamson (New Zealand, 3rd), Hashim Amla (South Africa, 4th), Younus Khan (Pakistan, 5th), AB de Villiers (South Africa, 6th), Adam Voges (Australia, 7th), David Warner (Australia, 8th), Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka, 9th) and Misbahul Haq (Pakistan, 10th).

Bowlers (top 10): James Anderson (England, 1st), R. Ashwin (India, 2nd), Stuart Broad (England, 3rd), Yasir Shah (Pakistan, 4th), Dale Steyn (South Africa, 5th), Ravindra Jadeja (India, 6th), Trent Boult (New Zealand, 7th), Josh Hazlewood (Australia, 8th), Morne Morkel (South Africa) and Vernon Philander (South Africa, 10th).