Fakhar Zaman breaks into top 20 for the first time

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has vaulted into the top 20 for the first time in his career in the latest ODI player rankings.

The rankings were released on Sunday following the conclusion of the West Indies-Bangladesh series and also include player performances from the Zimbabwe-Pakistan series.

Fakhar scored 515 runs in the series and has gained a total of 22 places to move into 16th position. He also became the first Pakistani player to score a double century.

Fakhar was ranked 24th when the player rankings were last updated on July 17, but his knocks of 210 not out in the fourth ODI and 85 in the final ODI helped him to gain eight more places.

Fakhar is now the second Pakistan batsman to feature in the top-20 after Babar Zaman reclaimed the second spot after finishing the series with 184 runs. Babar now leads England’s Joe Root by seven points, while the list is headed by India’s Virat Kohli.

Fakhar’s opening partner Imam-ul-Haq has also made a massive impact in the latest player rankings. Imam gained 70 places after the first three ODIs, and moved up another 51 spots to finish the Zimbabwe tour in the 43rd position.

In the five ODIs, the 22-year-old gained 121 positions due to his series aggregate of 395 runs that also included three centuries.

In the bowling table, Pakistan wrist-spinner Shadab Khan and fast bowler Faheem Ashraf have made upward movements.

Both bowlers collected nine wickets apiece in the series, and Shadab has finished in 31st position and Faheem has ended up in 79th position.

Bangladesh players rise after Windies series

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s old war horses, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mashrafe Mortaza, have been rewarded for steering their side to a 2-1 series victory over the West Indies.

Tamim jumped two places after scoring centuries to finish with 287 runs and has jumped four places to a career-high 13th position. His previous best ranking was 15th.

Shakib, who finished with 190 runs in the series with two half-centuries, has jumped three places to 26th, while Mahmudullah is in the 38th position after moving up four places.

Mashrafe not only led his side intelligently, but also excelled with the white ball when he finished as the leading wicket-taker with seven wickets. He earned a jump of eight places, which has put him back inside the top-20 in the 19th position.

Jasprit Bumrah of India is the top-ranked bowler, and is followed by Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Hasan Ali.

The West Indies may have lost the series 2-1, but there was something to smile for the home side. In the batting table, Shai Hope is now 45th (up by five places), Shimron Hetmyer is 59th (up by 77 places) and Chris Gayle is 66th (up by 12 places). In the bowlers’ list, Ashley Nurse is 38th (up by 25 places) and Devendra Bishoo is 92nd (up by 31 places).

The player rankings will now be updated at the conclusion of Sri Lanka and South Africa ODI series. The ODI team rankings, unlike the Test rankings, are updated after each match.