DUBAI – Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has reclaimed top spot on the ICC Men’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings following his stellar performance in recent series against Australia.
Ayub displayed excellent performance during their 3-0 series whitewash over Australia on home soil. He has dethroned Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza to regain the top spot.
The development comes just days before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as the Asian side look to claim their second title in the mega cricket event and their first since they tasted success in the second edition of the tournament back in 2009.
Ayub scored 119 runs and grabbed three wickets across the series against Australia and he wasn’t the only player from Pakistan to put together some exciting performances and be rewarded on the rankings this week prior to the start of the T20 World Cup on February 7.
Meanwhile, Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed gained two places to move to second on the list for T20I bowlers, with the right-arm spinner now just 28 rating points behind No.1 ranked Varun Chakravarthy of India following six wickets across three matches against the Aussies.
Fellow Pakistan spinner Mohammad Nawaz also makes gains on the updated rankings for T20I bowlers, with the lefty improving eight spots to seventh overall following a five-wicket haul in the final game of the series against Australia.
Nawaz also moves up one place to fourth overall on the list for T20I all-rounders, with Pakistan teammates Ayub (up eight rungs to equal 27th) and skipper Salman Ali Agha (up 12 spots to 29th) the big eye-catchers on the latest rankings for T20I batters.
There is some movement inside the top 10 for T20I batters as Abhishek Sharma holds on to a commanding lead at the head of proceedings, with England’s Jos Buttler (third), Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka (fifth), India’s Suryakumar Yadav (sixth) and New Zealand’s Tim Seifert (ninth) all gaining one place.
