Azhar achieves career-best 12th position in Tests

KARACHI: Azhar Ali has climbed five places to his career-best 12th position in Tests thanks to his triple century in the first Test against West Indies in Dubai.

Azhar, who won the player of the match award for his 302 not out, became the fourth Pakistan batsman to score a triple century. The first three were Hanif Mohammad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan.

The opener, who played as a wrist spinner in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2002 in New Zealand, earned 62 points, which allowed him to move ahead of teammate Asad Shafiq (16th, down by three places).

Azhar now has his captain Misbah-ul-Haq firmly within his sights, whom he trails by just one point.  Younus Khan remains his side’s highest-ranked batsman in fifth place (slipping one place after dropping one percent of his points for missing the Dubai Test).

Devendra Bishoo achieved career-best ranking after impressive showings in the Test. Bishoo’s match figures of 10 for 174 helped him gain 11 places to claim the 30th position.

West Indies batsman Darren Bravo has joined Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed in the 20th position after rising eight places. The 27-year-old left-hander scored 87 and 116 in the Dubai Test.

Bravo and Sarfraz trail New Zealand’s 19th-ranked Ross Taylor by 13 points.

Marlon Samuels, who scored 76 and four, moved up five places to 40th place.

Pakistan opener Sami Aslam jumped 19 places to share the 58th position with Martin Guptill of New Zealand.

Jason Holder is just five points and one place behind the duo of Sami and Guptill.

Steve Smith is the number-one ranked Test batsman. He leads England’s second-ranked Joe Root by 28 points. Hashim Amla of South Africa is the third.

Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz reached the

26th spot, his best-ever, after he picked up two for 65 and one for 47.

Mohammad Amir’s three wickets in the second innings helped him gain four places to reach the 60th position.

Yasir Shah, who took seven wickets in the match and completed 100 wickets during this, gained three points while staying in the sixth position.

The bowling table is headed by India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, with Dale Steyn of South Africa second and England’s James Anderson third.