DUBAI: Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Noman Ali has surged to second place in the latest ICC Test bowling rankings on Wednesday following his stellar performance against South Africa in the first Test of the ongoing two-match series.
Noman’s remarkable rise, jumping four spots to reach 853 rating points, has placed him within striking distance of the top-ranked Jasprit Bumrah of India.
The 39-year-old’s dominant showing in Lahore, where he picked up 6-112 and 4-79 in Pakistan’s 93-run victory, propelled him past several established names, including Kagiso Rabada, who slipped to fifth.
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With this achievement, Noman Ali becomes only the seventh Pakistani bowler ever to cross the 850-point mark, and the first since Yasir Shah reached the feat back in July 2016.
His previous best was fifth position earlier this year, during Pakistan’s home series against the West Indies, when he touched 806 points.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy sits third in the updated rankings.
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Among other Pakistani bowlers, Shaheen Afridi made notable progress, climbing three spots to 19th. Sajid Khan retained his 21st position, while Mohammad Abbas (27th) and Naseem Shah (34th) also held their places.
Further down the list, Hasan Ali (42nd) and Abrar Ahmed (48th) remained stable, though Khurram Shahzad and Aamer Jamal slipped to 66th and 74th, respectively.
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