Younus returns to top five of batsmen ranking

Younus, who shared 11^th position with India’s Ajinkya Rahane going into the final Test, slammed a fine 218 in the first innings to shoot up to fifth in the latest batting table, which is led by Australia captain Steve Smith.

Younus had started the series in fifth position but had dropped out of the top 10 following the third Test at Edgbaston when he slipped from ninth position.

Rahane has also made an upward movement after an impressive performance against the West Indies in the Gros Islet Test. Rahane has moved up three places to a career-best eighth rank after innings of 35 and 78 not out in India’s 237 runs victory over the West Indies which gave the tourists an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-Test series.

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor’s unbeaten knocks of 124 and 67 against Zimbabwe has seen him gain five places to reach ninth rank after his team won the second Test at Bulawayo by 254 runs to clinch the two-match series 2-0.

England’s Moeen Ali has gained six places to move to 26^th position, while his compatriot Jonny Bairstow (14^th) and the Pakistan duo of Asad Shafiq (15^th) and Azhar Ali (17^th) have also gained one place each.

West Indian batsmen Darren Bravo (27^th), Kraigg Braithwaite (33^rd) and Marlon Samuels (40^th) are other batsmen to move in the right direction.

The top 10 of the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers has remained largely unchanged but New Zealand’s Neil Wagner has gained one spot to reach 13^th, while England pace bowler Chris Woakes has gained two spots to reach 18^th in a list led by England paceman James Anderson.

Pakistan’s pace bowling pair of Wahab Riaz and Sohail Khan, and the West Indies’ Miguel Cummins also made noticeable gains.

Left-armer Wahab has gained six slots to reach 27^th after grabbing a total of five wickets at The Oval, while Sohail’s six wickets during that Test has seen him jump 21 places to 41^st rank. Cummins has rocketed 59 places to 55^th after match figures of nine for 102.

The all-rounders’ rankings are led by India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, while Australia’s Mitchell Starc has broken into the top five for the first time in fifth position after rising two places. — ICC