Azhar Ali continues to rise in Test cricket  

Pakistan superstar batsman Azhar Ali has jumped two spots in latest MRF Tyres ICC Test rankings on Tuesday. No
09 Jan, 2018

Pakistan superstar batsman Azhar Ali has jumped two spots in latest MRF Tyres ICC Test rankings on Tuesday.

No Pakistani stood out apart from Azhar Ali who has jumped 2 spots and is now ranked as the 7th best batsman in the world.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Steven Smith is still holding the top spot in batsman’s ranking followed by Joe Root and Virat Kohli, who occupy the second and third spot respectively.

In bowlers ranking, South African bowling sensation Kagiso Rabada has moved up on the top of the rankings thanks to his performance in first Test against India.

England’s James Anderson slipped one place to 2nd while Ravindra Jadeja holds the third spot.

Pakistan’s Yasir Shah, who was once immensely feared, has slipped up and now ranks number 14th.

Pakistan had a splendid Test cricket year in 2015-16 where the Green shirts won 4 out of 5 series they played and drew the one against England in their backyard.

The team has two series’ wins since the start of 2017 — both against West Indies — but have fallen short against competitive nations.

Due to these results, Pakistan have been ranked number 7 in the list. The recent loss against Sri Lanka can also be credited to the absence of Misbah and Younis, who retired earlier in 2017.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2018

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