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Saim Ayub

ICC T20 Rankings: Saim Ayub returns to no.1 position

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ICC T20 Rankings

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the latest T20 International player rankings ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, with several Pakistani players making notable gains across categories.

Pakistan’s Saim Ayub has once again claimed the top spot in the ICC T20I all-rounders rankings, reaffirming his dominance in the shortest format. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza slipped one place to second position.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz moved up one spot to fourth, while Shadab Khan made a significant jump of 13 places to reach 26th position.

In the T20I batters rankings, India’s Abhishek Sharma retained the number one position. England’s Phil Salt remained second, while his teammate Jos Buttler climbed one place to third.

Among Pakistani batters, opening batter Sahibzada Farhan dropped two places to seventh position. Saim Ayub showed impressive progress, climbing eight places to reach 28th.

Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha made a major leap, gaining 12 places to move to 29th position. Former captain Babar Azam slipped three places to 34th.

Fakhar Zaman, who is part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad, dropped five places to 74th position.

In the bowlers rankings, India’s Varun Chakravarthy secured the top position. Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed climbed two places to second, pushing Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan down to third.

Mohammad Nawaz improved by eight places to claim seventh position, while Shaheen Shah Afridi moved up five places to 19th. Shadab Khan made a remarkable jump of 33 places to reach 72nd position.

The latest rankings highlight Pakistan’s strong presence across all departments as teams gear up for the T20 World Cup.

Peshawar Zalmi to retain Babar Azam, Saim Ayub released

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Peshawar Zalmi

KARACHI: In the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Peshawar Zalmi has decided to retain captain Babar Azam for the upcoming season, sources confirmed.

According to insiders, the franchise has chosen to release Saim Ayub, who, along with Babar Azam, was listed in Peshawar Zalmi’s Platinum category. PSL rules allow franchises to retain only one player per category, making this a strategic decision.

Sources added that Saim Ayub will now be available for selection by other franchises in the PSL players’ draft.

Franchises are expected to finalize their retention decisions today, determining which players will remain with their teams for PSL 11.

Ahead of the 11th season of the PSL 11, franchises have announced their player retentions as the league introduces a major change in the player selection process.

For the first time in PSL history, the traditional draft system has been replaced with an auction-based model. Under this system, franchises can now retain only one player per category instead of eight, while remaining players will be added to their squads through the auction.

Retentions by Franchises:

Lahore Qalandars – The defending champions have retained captain Shaheen Afridi in the Platinum category. They released Haris Rauf and Fakhar Zaman from Platinum. In other categories, Abdullah Shafiq (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), and Mohammad Naeem (Silver) were retained, while several players including Salman Mirza, Zaman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Mohammad Ikhlaq, and Mohammad Azab were released.

Karachi Kings – The franchise retained fast bowler Hasan Ali in Platinum, Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold), and Saad Baig (Emerging).

Islamabad United – Shadab Khan remains in Platinum, Salman Irshad in Gold, and Andres Goos in Silver. The team released players including Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Roman Rais, Mohammad Faiq, and Haneen Shah across various categories.

Quetta Gladiators – The franchise retained Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hassan Nawaz (Gold), and Hussain (Emerging). Players released include Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Khurram Shehzad, Hasibullah Khan, Khawaja Nafees, Danish Aziz, and Mohammad Zeeshan.

The retentions mark the first step in the PSL 11 preparations, with the new auction-based player draft set to determine final team squads for the season.

Saim Ayub continues to lead ICC all-rounders rankings

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Saim Ayub

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the latest player rankings across formats, with several notable movements involving players from Pakistan, India, England, and New Zealand.

In the Test batters’ rankings, England’s Joe Root has retained his position at the top. Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel moved up one place from 10th to 9th, while New Zealand’s David Conway made a significant jump of seven places to reach 34th.

In the Test bowlers’ rankings, India’s Jasprit Bumrah continues to hold the No. 1 position. Australia’s Mitchell Starc climbed from third to second place. New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy registered a major rise, moving up 15 places to 48th.

Among Test all-rounders, India’s Ravindra Jadeja remains firmly at the top of the rankings.

T20 Rankings

In the ICC T20I batters’ rankings, India’s Abhishek Sharma has maintained his position at No. 1. Fellow Indian batter Tilak Varma climbed two spots to fourth. New Zealand’s Tim Seifert also improved by two places to ninth.

Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan slipped one place to sixth, while Babar Azam dropped one position to 31st. South Africa’s Dewald Brevis fell seven places to 15th, whereas Aiden Markram surged eight spots to reach 29th.

In the T20I all-rounders’ rankings, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub continues to dominate at the top, with Mohammad Nawaz holding steady at fifth place. India’s Shivam Dube moved up four positions to claim 16th spot.

The latest rankings reflect shifting performances across international cricket, highlighting strong showings by players from South Asia and beyond.