Shakib becomes number-one ranked Test all-rounder

Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has become the number-one ranked all-rounder in the Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings after stellar performance with the bat and the ball against Pakistan in the Mirpur Test which finished last week.

Shakib become the first Bangladesh player to score a century and take five-for in the same Test when he scored 144 and took 6-82. This performance not only earned the 24-year-old man of the match award but has also gave him a jump of four places in the all-rounders’ rankings which puts him on top of the tree.

Shakib has also improved his batting and bowling rankings.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, Shakib has vaulted seven places to claim a career-best 31st position while in the bowling chart he has claimed seventh position after gaining two places. The other Bangladesh batsmen to improve their rankings include captain Mushfiqur Rahim (up by one to 44th), Shahriar Nafees (up by eight to 61st) and Nasir Hossain (up by 32 to 96th).

Pakistan players have also made the best of the Mirpur Test with one-down batsman Azhar Ali and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman achieving career-best rankings.Azhar Ali, who scored 57 and 34, has moved up four places to 23rd position while Abdur Rehman, who took four for 51 in the second innings, has broken into the top 20 for the first time in his career and is now in 19th position.

Other Pakistan players improving their rankings include opener Taufeeq Umar (up by seven to 42nd) and fast bowlers Umar Gul (up by one to 18th) and Aizaz Cheema (up by five to 45th).