Hafeez, Anderson biggest movers in ICC Rankings

ISLAMABAD, Nov 6 (APP): Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez and
England’s James Anderson are the biggest movers in the latest ICC Test
Player Rankings, which were released on Friday following the conclusion of
the Pakistan-England Sharjah Test.
Hafeez contributions of 27 and 151 have helped him vault four places
to a career-best 24th position. He was also adjudged player of the Sharjah
Test. Hafeez had started the series in 33rd position and has gained nine places after earning 79 points during the course of the series, says a press release issued here.
Anderson returned figures of four for 17 and two for 52 for which he
has earned 22 points, which, in turn, has put him alongside player of the
series, Yasir Shah, in second place. The wrist-spinner earned 19 points after taking seven wickets in the match. The two bowlers are now on equal points on 846 – 59 points behind South Africa’s number-one ranked Dale Steyn.
Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Rahat Ali has also gained five places
and is now on a career-high 36th position after contributing three wickets in Pakistan’s 127 runs victory.
In the ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, Australia captain Steve
Smith has regained the number-one ranking and AB de Villiers of South
Africa has moved into second position as Joe Root’s has dropped two places
to third after conceding 27 points.
Apart from Root, Younus Khan has slipped one place to sixth, Asad
Shafiq has dropped one place to 12th, Azhar Ali has lost three places to 20th and Ian Bell has fallen one place to 31st.
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has hung up his boots in 67th
batting and 44th bowling spots. Shoaib lost 15 places in the batting chart
after scores of 38 and 0, but gained 57 places after recording match figures
of 24.5-7-59-7.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has retained his 10th position in the
batting chart but has steered his side second position in the ICC Test
Championship. Pakistan last achieved number-two spot under Inzamam-ul-
Haq in August 2006, immediately prior to losing the series in England.
Pakistan very briefly enjoyed number-one position under Imran Khan
in 1988 and remained the second-ranked side for much of the early 1990s.
Third-ranked Australia trails Pakistan by a fraction of a point but
will reclaim second position if it beats New Zealand by 1-0 or better. In this scenario, England will also move ahead of New Zealand in fifth position as the two sides are currently locked on 99 points each.