Fawad Alam, a left-handed batsman and left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi have achieved career-best positions in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after helping Pakistan win the second Test against the West Indies in Kingston to draw their two-match ICC World Test Championship series 1-1.
Fawad Alam’s unbeaten 124 in the first innings has helped him shoot up 34 places to 21st position. Shaheen Shah Afridi has gained 10 slots to reach the eighth position after a 10-wicket match haul that helped seal a 109-run victory and won him the Player of the Match award.
Fawad Alam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan Gain Positions In ICC Test Ratings
Fawad Alam, who has struck four centuries since his return to Test cricket in August last year, had a previous best of 47th position attained in May this year while Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 18th position before this Test was his highest.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also finished as the Player of the Series with 18 wickets, had started the series in 22nd position. Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed 4-43 to add to his career-best figures of 6-51 in the first innings as West Indies were dismissed for 219 on the last day to give Pakistan victory by 109 runs.
Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the two Pakistan players ahead of Fawad Alam in the batters’ list, have also gained. Babar Azam’s scores of 75 and 33 have helped him advance one slot to the seventh position, two below his career-best fifth position in August last year, while Mohammad Rizwan is back in the top 20 with scores of 31 and 10 not out.
Jason Holder Advanced 6 Places
Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali is another one to gain in the latest weekly update to the men’s rankings that is carried out across formats on Wednesdays. His three-wicket haul in the second innings has helped him progress from 48th to 44thposition.
For the West Indies, all-rounder Jason Holder has advanced six places to 37th among batters with scores of 26 and 47. Fast bowler Jayden Seales, the most successful after Shaheen Shah Afridi with 11 wickets in the series, has moved up four slots to 54th after his three first-innings wickets.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, the Pakistan pacer was the hero, finishing with a match haul of 10 wickets as West Indies folded against a well-rounded attack. It meant they will have to wait a few more years to record a first Test series win over Pakistan since 2001.
Pakistan 302 for 9 dec (Alam 124, Azam 75, Roach 3-68) and 176 for 6 dec (Butt 37, Azam 33) beat West Indies 150 (Bonner 37, Afridi 6-51) and 219 (Holder 47, Afridi 4-43, Nauman 3-52) by 109 runs