Pakistani spinner Noman Ali has reached a new career-high in the ICC Men’s Test Bowler Rankings, moving within touching distance of India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who currently holds the top spot.
Noman’s 10-wicket haul in Pakistan’s 93-run win over South Africa in Lahore earned him a jump of four places to second on the list. The left-arm spinner now has 853 rating points, just 29 behind Bumrah.
Shaheen Shah Afridi also climbed the rankings after taking four wickets in the second innings of the same match, rising three spots to 19th among Test bowlers.
Pakistan’s strong performance against South Africa also helped several batters improve their rankings. Mohammad Rizwan moved up four places to 16th, Babar Azam climbed two spots to 22nd and Salman Ali Agha jumped eight places to 30th.
England’s Joe Root continues to lead the Test batter rankings.
For South Africa, Ryan Rickelton’s first-innings 71 prompted him to the top 50 for the first time, while Tony de Zorzi’s century moved him up to 54th.
Noman’s rapid rise has put him on the verge of becoming the world’s No.1 Test bowler, a position no Pakistani spinner has held in recent years.