Latest ICC Rankings: Azhar Ali replaces Younis Khan as Pakistan's highest ranked Test batsman
In the ICC rankings released on Friday, Pakistan top-order batsman Azhar Ali has replaced his countryman Younis Khan in the list for Test batsman. The 32-year-old, thanks to his century in the opening Test, has climbed to the 8th position on the table while his senior partner did not have the best of times with the bat, scoring single digit scores in 3 out of the 4 innings so far in the Caribbean.
The numero uno position is still held by Steve Smith, who is in India, captaining the Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL, followed by Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson, India skipper Virat Kohli is fourth, followed by his countryman Cheteshwar Pujara, who on Thursday signed a contract to play for Nottinghamshire on the English county circuit.
No change has been in the bowlers' rankings as well with Ravindra Jadeja leading the pack, followed by Ravichandran Ashwin, who is currently recovering from the sports hernia, which forced him to miss the 2017 Indian Premier League.
Mitchell Starc, also missing in this year’s IPL, rounds off the top 10 bowlers rankings in Test matches.
It is the season of limited-overs cricket at the moment, with the IPL in progress, followed by the ODI series between England and South Africa, then the Champions Trophy in England.
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Pakistan and the West Indies are the only countries involved in Test match action, with the third and final Test of a series, currently locked at 1-1, set to be played in Dominica from the 10th of May.
The game will hold extra significance, apart from being the series decider, as it would be the last time that the cricketing world will see both Misbah-Ul-Haq and Younis Khan in action for their country.
Here’s the table for the best batsmen and bowlers in Tests:
Batsman
| No. | Player Name | Rating Points |
| 1. | Steve Smith | 941 |
| 2. | Kane Williamson | 880 |
| 3. | Joe Root | 848 |
| 4. | Virat Kohli | 846 |
| 5. | Cheteshwar Pujara | 818 |
| 6. | Quinton de Kock | 802 |
| 7. | David Warner | 759 |
| 8. | Azhar Ali | 748 |
| 9. | Hashim Amla | 748 |
| 10. | KL Rahul | 739 |
Bowlers
| No. | Player Name | Rating Points |
| 1. | Ravindra Jadeja | 898 |
| 2. | Ravichandran Ashwin | 865 |
| 3. | Josh Hazlewood | 854 |
| 4. | Rangana Herath | 826 |
| 5. | James Anderson | 810 |
| 6. | Stuart Broad | 803 |
| 7. | Kagiso Rabada | 798 |
| 8. | Dale Steyn | 794 |
| 9. | Neil Wagner | 745 |
| 10. | Mitchell Starc | 742 |