Noman Ali jumps to second in ICC Test bowling rankings after 10-wicket match haul in Lahore

‌Pakistan spinner Noman Ali jumped four places to be placed second among the list of bowlers in Tests as per the International Cricket Council’s latest rankings. The left-armer is the only spinner currently in the top five with Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah leading the charts with 882 points.

Noman was impressive in Pakistan’s 93-run win in the opening Test against South Africa, picking up a match haul of 10 wickets in Lahore. The Player of the Match-winning performance helped him jump four places, from his earlier sixth place, with a career-best tally of 853 points.

The left-arm spinner has been in rollicking form throughout Pakistan’s home leg, picking up 46 wickets from five games in the last 12 months. He came back into the side after Pakistan’s defeat to England in the first Test in Multan last year and scalped 20 wickets, including a ten-wicket match haul, from the next two to help the home side pocket the three-match series.

He picked up 16 more wickets in the subsequent two-Test series against the West Indies before coming to the fore again with a riveting performance against South Africa in the opener.

Meanwhile, the Australian pace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc also climbed up the ladder to be 10th and 21st, respectively in the ODI bowlers’ list after winning the rain-shortened first ODI against India in Perth. England leg-spinner Adil Rashid too rose up to third place in the T20I bowlers’ list after his four-wicket haul against New Zealand in the second game in Christchurch.