ICC Test Rankings: Broad rises to the second spot
England fast bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson have advanced in the ICC Test Rankings for bowlers. While Broad displaced New Zealand's Neil Wagner to grab the second spot, the latter jumped to 14th position in the rankings. The duo produced terrific spells in the second Test against Pakistan, that ended in a draw. Notably, Babar Azam climbed to the fifth spot among batsmen.
ICC Test Bowling Rankings
Broad's anazing run in 2020
Broad gained one spot as he moved to the second position on the bowlers' list. Notably, he returned with bowling figures of 56/4 in the second Test against Pakistan. The 34-year-old earlier became the second Englishman to complete 500 Test wickets. Also, Broad is the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket this year, having accounted for 35 scalps at an incredible average of 14.11.
Mohammad Abbas grabs the eighth spot
Broad's compatriot James Anderson also moved up two slots to 14th after recording a match haul of 60/3. For Pakistan, Mohammad Abbas gained a promotion of two places to reach the eighth position. He was yet again the pick of Pakistan's bowlers, having snapped up two wickets against England. Notably, Abbas entered top-10 after the first Test.
Only batsman in the top-five across formats
In the ICC Rankings for batsmen, Pakistan batsman Babar Azam has moved back to his career-best fifth position (which he attained initially in February 2020). His 47-run knock against England in the second Test helped him surge on the list. Interestingly, Babar is now the only batsman to be present in the top-five across formats (ODI - 3, T20I - 1).
More on ICC Test Rankings for batsmen
The likes of Abid Ali (49th) and Mohammad Rizwan (75th) also attained career-best rankings after slamming half-centuries against England. Meanwhile, England batsman Zak Crawley moved to 81st spot on the back of his 99-ball 53 in the second Test.
England remain on third spot in the ICC WTC standings
In the ICC World Test Championship standings, England hold the third position with 279 points. Previously, they overtook New Zealand to occupy the current spot. Meanwhile, Pakistan are fifth, having secured 153 points. Team India still leads the table with 360 points, followed by Australia (296 points). Notably, each series of the WTC is worth 120 points, distributed evenly over the number of matches.
