ICC Test Rankings: Kyle Jamieson Enters Top 10 Bowlers' List, Steve Smith Replaces Kane Williamson At Second Spot Among Batsmen

New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson continues his incredible rise in international cricket as he enters the top 10 ICC Test bowlers in the latest announced rankings on Wednesday.

Kyle Jamieson bagged two three-wicket hauls in the Kanpur Test against India, and reached the 9th spot in the ICC bowlers rankings, climbing up 6 positions. The Auckland-born lanky pacer now has 52 wickets in 9 innings, at a staggering bowling average of just 15.05.

Kyle Jamieson, who was Man of the Match in the World Test Championship final against India earlier this year, averages 35.50 with the bat in 10 innings and is the 6th ranked Test all-rounder. His compatriots Tim Southee (3rd) and Neil Wagner (6th) are already amongst the top bowlers in the world.

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi moved to the fifth position, pushing down the likes of James Anderson, Kagiso Rabada and Neil Wagner, on the back of his five-wicket haul versus Bangladesh in Chattogram. Afridi has 83 wickets in 20 Tests at 24.34.

Afridi’s teammate Hasan Ali, who also took a five-for against Bangladesh, also makes a climb of his own; Hasan Ali now sits just outside the top 10 in 11th, a career-high.

Kane Williamson loses second spot to Steve Smith

Talismanic Australian batsman Steve Smith has made gains in the batsmen rankings without playing any Test since January as New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who previously sat on the second position, lost points following scores of 18 and 24 in Kanpur.

Joe Root continues to lead the batting charts, and Steve Smith will have the opportunity to catch Root in the upcoming Ashes series.

Tom Latham, who hit twin fifties in Kanpur, including 95 in the first innings, helping New Zealand save the Test, entered the top 10, placed at number 9, up by 5 spots.

India debutant Shreyas Iyer’s Player of the Match effort of 105 and 65 in the Kanpur Test helped him enter the rankings in 74th position, while opener Shubman Gill (up six places to 66th) and Wriddhiman Saha (up nine places to 99th) also made notable progress after notching half-centuries.

Dimuth Karunaratne’s giant effort with the bat – 147 and 83 – against West Indies in Galle, which took Sri Lanka to a 187-run win, sees him jump 4 places to attain the 7th spot.

Afridi, Jamieson, Latham and Karunaratne on the charge ?

All the latest changes in the @MRFWorldwide Test player rankings ? https://t.co/sBZWT92hhH pic.twitter.com/4dHZoUV67z

— ICC (@ICC) December 1, 2021

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