(ICC Photo)
Several cricketers from England, West Indies, and Pakistan have seen improvements in the latest ICC Rankings for T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
England and Pakistan are currently engaged in a four-match T20I series. While adverse weather conditions affected two of the first three games, resulting in washouts, the fourth match is set to take place on Thursday (May 30). Meanwhile, West Indies recently achieved a clean sweep against South Africa in a three-match T20I series.
Following his standout performance of 84 runs in the second T20I, England captain Jos Buttler has climbed one spot to seventh in the latest ICC Rankings for batters. Buttler’s commanding innings led England to a 23-run victory, as no other player managed to reach fifty in that match.
His teammate Jonny Bairstow has also made significant progress, moving up eight places to 36th after scoring 21 runs off 18 balls. Similarly, Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, the highest run-scorer for his team in the match, has been duly recognized for his contribution. Zaman’s quickfire 45 runs off 21 balls have propelled him six places up to 51st in the ICC Rankings.
Turning to the West Indies camp, three players have experienced upward movement in the rankings. Opening batsman Brandon King has advanced five spots to eighth, Johnson Charles has surged 17 places to 20th, and Kyle Mayers has climbed 12 spots to 31st.
Currently, India’s Suryakumar Yadav holds the top spot in the ICC T20I batter rankings, with Yashasvi Jaiswal being the only other Indian batter in the top ten, positioned at sixth.
The ICC Rankings for bowlers in T20Is
West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie has surged up the ICC Rankings following his outstanding performance in the series against South Africa, where he was awarded the Player of the Series. Motie, a left-arm spinner, claimed the highest number of wickets in the series with 8 dismissals in 3 matches. This remarkable display has propelled him from a ranking outside the top 100 to an impressive 27th position overall.
In addition, England’s left-arm pacer Reece Topley has advanced one place to ninth in the rankings. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s bowling lineup has seen notable improvements, with Shaheen Afridi climbing three spots to equal 11th, Haris Rauf moving up two places to 25th, and Imad Wasim ascending 14 positions to 38th.
At the summit of the rankings for bowlers stands England’s leg-spinner Adil Rashid. Axar Patel holds the third position, making him the highest-ranked Indian bowler in the ICC Rankings for T20Is.
