Youngsters move up, seniors stumble in ICC rankings

LAHORE: Pakistan’s latest ICC T20I rankings update has brought a mix of celebration and introspection. The standout story is Sahibzada Farhan, who surged an astonishing 69 places to break into the top 100 batters ion ICC rankings.

Now ranked 97th with 389 points, Farhan’s ascent reflects the impact of his performances in the recent series against Bangladesh, a contest Pakistan lost 2-1. Middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz climbed 14 places to claim joint 54th spot alongside South Africa’s David Miller, both with 500 points.

Captain Salman Ali Agha and opener Saim Ayub also recorded modest improvements, each gaining two positions and settling at 91st and 62nd respectively. Yet, while some young talents are rising, Pakistan’s senior batters have experienced notable setbacks. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan—longtime stalwarts—dropped to 14th and 16th positions. Mohammad Haris faced a steep decline, losing 15 places to fall to 65th, while Fakhar Zaman dipped slightly to 81st.

No Pakistani bowler features in the top 20 globally. Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf both slipped two spots, now ranking 24th and 26th. Shaheen Afridi edged up one spot to 35th with 536 points, while spinner Abrar Ahmed and vice-captain Shadab Khan lost ground, ranking 51st and 67th respectively.