Islamabad
\nIn a positive development, Pakistani players registered significant improvements in the latest ICC Men\u2019s T20I rankings, led by opener Saim Ayub\u2019s return to the top of the all-rounders\u2019 chart, just days before the start of the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup.
\nAyub has been rewarded for his excellent recent form by regaining the No 1 position on the ICC Men\u2019s T20I all-rounder rankings, the International Cricket Council (ICC) stated in an official statement.
\nThe star opener player returned to the top spot following a series of strong performances for Pakistan in their 3-0 home whitewash of Australia, replacing Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza at the summit of the rankings.
\nThe development comes at a timely moment for Ayub and Pakistan, with the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7, as the Asian side looks to claim its second title in the 20-over showpiece and its first since lifting the trophy in 2009.
\nAyub scored 119 runs and picked up three wickets across the three-match series against Australia.
\nHe was not the only Pakistan player to benefit from the latest rankings update following the Australia series.
\nPakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed climbed two places to second on the T20I bowlers\u2019 rankings and now sits just 28 rating points behind India\u2019s Varun Chakravarthy, who remains the top-ranked bowler, after claiming six wickets in three matches against Australia.
\nFellow Pakistan spinner Mohammad Nawaz also made major progress, jumping eight places to seventh on the T20I bowlers\u2019 list after a five-wicket haul in the final match of the series.
\nNawaz also rose one place to fourth on the T20I all-rounders\u2019 rankings.
\nIn the T20I batters\u2019 rankings, Pakistan\u2019s Saim Ayub moved up eight places to joint 27th, while captain Salman Ali Agha climbed 12 positions to 29th.
\nThere was movement within the top 10 of the T20I batters\u2019 rankings as India\u2019s Abhishek Sharma retained a commanding lead at the top, while England\u2019s Jos Buttler (third), Sri Lanka\u2019s Pathum Nissanka (fifth), India\u2019s Suryakumar Yadav (sixth) and New Zealand\u2019s Tim Seifert (ninth) each gained one place.
\nA total of seven different teams are represented inside the top 11 of the batters\u2019 rankings, with the upcoming T20 World Cup expected to offer further opportunities for changes.
\nAustralia all-rounder Cameron Green moved up 16 places to 14th, while South Africa\u2019s Quinton de Kock advanced 15 spots to joint 22nd on the T20I batters\u2019 list.
\nIndia\u2019s Ishan Kishan registered one of the biggest jumps, climbing 32 places to 32nd, while South Africa left-hander Ryan Rickelton surged 42 positions to 40th.
\nOn the T20I bowlers\u2019 rankings, England\u2019s Adil Rashid rose two places to fourth and New Zealand\u2019s Mitchell Santner climbed eight spots to joint 23rd, with both players expected to play key roles for their sides during the World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad In a positive development, Pakistani players registered significant improvements in the latest ICC Men\u2019s T20I rankings, led by opener Saim Ayub\u2019s return to the top of the all-rounders\u2019 chart, just days before the start of the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup. Ayub has been rewarded for his excellent recent form by regaining the No […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":529592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-529581","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n