DUBAI: Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has replaced South African spinner Keshav Maharaj to become the number one bowler in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings on Wednesday.
Pakistan, under newly-appointed captain Mohammad Rizwan, defeated Australia in the third ODI by eight wickets in Perth to win their first series Down Under since 2002.
The visitors lost the first match of the three-match series by two wickets, however, they staged an impressive comeback to win the series 2-1.
Consequently, Pakistani players made significant gains in the latest ICC ODI Rankings, with Shaheen Afridi reclaiming the top spot among bowlers.
Afridi showed his bowling prowess against Australia as he took eight wickets across three matches at an astonishing average of 12.62, which resulted in his three-spot jump in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
The left-arm pacer has previously held the number one spot briefly during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
Following his rise, Pakistan now holds the top spot in both batting and bowling rankings in ODI cricket as Babar Azam solidified his lead among batters.
Azam scored 80 runs across three innings against Australia but he got out only once and struck the winning boundary in both of Pakistan’s victories.
Meanwhile, Haris Rauf, who was awarded Player of the Series, jumped 14 places to reach his career-best 13th spot in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings with 618 rating points.
The right-arm pacer claimed 10 wickets during the three-match series at an impressive average of 12.00.
Naseem Shah, who took five wickets during the series, improved 14 places to equal the 55th spot.
READ: Mohammad Rizwan sets sights on T20I sweep after historic victory in Australia ODIs