Australia destroyer Abbas jumps to 3rd in Test rankings

DUBAI: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas rose to number three in the Test bowling rankings on Sunday following his 17 wickets in the series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates.

The 28-year-old took 10 for 95 to help Pakistan to their biggest Test win -- a 373-run hammering of Australia -- in the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Friday, giving them a 1-0 series win. He took seven wickets in the drawn first Test in Dubai.

The new International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings see Abbas shoot to third from 14th and he is now behind only England’s James Anderson and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.Abbas has taken 59 wickets in his 10 matches and became the joint second-fastest Pakistani to take 50 wickets during the second Test -- a mark he shares with legendary paceman Waqar Younis and Shabbir Ahmed. Pakistan’s leg-spinner Yasir Shah was the fastest to reach 50 wickets, taking just nine Tests.

Abbas, who worked in a leather factory, earning his livelihood through welding work and working as a helper in a law firm in Sialkot, might not find too many reasons to complain. He was named Man of the Match and Man of the Series after Pakistan recorded their biggest ever Test victory in terms of runs this week.

Meanwhile, Bilal Asif, the off spinner, who snared nine scalps in the two-match rubber, made significant gains and takes the 52nd slot in the rankings. Fakhar Zaman, the opening batsman, who made his debut in the Abu Dhabi Test, is ranked 68th after compiling knocks of 94 and 66. On the other hand, the Australian opener, Aaron Finch climbed 15 places to slot in at 59th position in the rankings. In the Team Rankings, Pakistan collected seven points after their 1-0 series win and are now just two points behind the sixth-placed Sri Lanka. Australia, their counterparts, have slipped to fifth position.