Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has returned to the pinnacle of the ICC Men”s T20I All-Rounder Rankings, a significant development just days before the commencement of the T20 World Cup.
According to a report by ICC today, the 23-year-old’s ascent comes after a series of impressive displays during Pakistan”s 3-0 series clean sweep of Australia on home soil, where he replaced Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza at the top of the standings.
His formidable form, which included 119 runs and three wickets against the Australians, is a major boost for the Asian side as they prepare to challenge for their second T20 World Cup title, with the tournament set to begin on February 7.
Ayub was not the only Pakistani player to see his position improve in the latest rankings update. Spinner Abrar Ahmed climbed two places to secure the second spot on the T20I bowlers list, now trailing India”s top-ranked Varun Chakravarthy by only 28 rating points after taking six wickets in the series.
Fellow spinner Mohammad Nawaz also made substantial progress, jumping eight spots to seventh in the T20I bowler rankings following a five-wicket haul in the final match against Australia. Nawaz additionally advanced one place to fourth overall on the all-rounder list.
In the T20I batters” rankings, several Pakistan players made notable advances. Team captain Salman Ali Agha rose 12 spots to 29th, while Ayub”s performance saw him climb eight rungs to land at an equal 27th position.
Internationally, the top 10 for T20I batters experienced a shuffle below India”s Abhishek Sharma, who maintains a commanding lead. England”s Jos Buttler (third), Sri Lanka”s Pathum Nissanka (fifth), India”s Suryakumar Yadav (sixth), and New Zealand”s Tim Seifert (ninth) each gained one place.
Significant upward movement was also recorded for Australia”s Cameron Green (up 16 places to 14th) and South Africa”s Quinton de Kock (up 15 to equal 22nd). India”s Ishan Kishan made a remarkable 32-rung jump to 32nd, while South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton ascended 42 slots to 40th.
Among the bowlers, experienced campaigners Adil Rashid of England (up two to fourth) and New Zealand”s Mitchell Santner (up eight to equal 23rd) were also recognised for their recent form ahead of the global showcase event.