In the latest rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday, Pakistani cricketers have achieved top positions in two One Day International (ODI) categories – batting and bowling – for the first time.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has been delivering exceptional performances for Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup, made an impressive leap of nine places to secure the top spot in the ODI bowling rankings. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam, managed to retain his slight lead as the number one batsman in the corresponding batting rankings.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) celebrated this remarkable feat in a social media post, saying, “With @babarazam258 as the No.1 batsman, this marks the first instance since the introduction of ICC ODI Player rankings that a Pakistani batsman and bowler have simultaneously claimed the top positions in the ODI rankings.”
Furthermore, just a day earlier, Afridi also achieved the joint-leading position as the top wicket-taker in the tournament, sharing this honor with Australia’s spinner, Adam Zampa, as both players managed to take 16 wickets each.
Afridi also earned the distinction of becoming the fastest fast bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets, accomplishing this milestone in just 51 innings.
