Dubai, August 19: England’s Harry Brook has ascended to the top of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, overtaking Australian opener Travis Head. This marks the fourth time Brook has claimed the number one spot, having first achieved this milestone in December 2024.
Travis Head has slipped three positions to fourth place following a disappointing performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, where he scored just 22 and 17 runs. His team suffered a surprising defeat, losing by nine wickets. Joe Root and Steve Smith have moved ahead of Head, with Smith scoring 71 and 44 runs to secure third place.
In a notable rise, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto jumped nine spots to reach a career-best ranking of 20th, thanks to his impressive 84 runs in the first innings, which laid the foundation for his team’s victory. Shanto has surpassed notable players like Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and his compatriot Liton Das.
Additionally, teammates Mominul Haque and Australian all-rounder Cameron Green have improved their standings, with Mominul climbing five spots to 31st and Green also moving up five spots to 30th after scoring a century in the second innings. Other players, including Shadman Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, have also made gains in the batting rankings.
The top four batsmen are separated by just 33 rating points, indicating potential shifts in rankings following England’s upcoming home Test series against Pakistan and Australia’s second match against Bangladesh.
Fast bowler Hasan Mahmud has made significant progress, rising 26 places to 38th after taking six wickets for 55 runs in the first innings. Mehidy Hasan also improved, moving up three spots to 24th after claiming five wickets for 66 runs in the second innings.
In the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, Afghanistan’s left-handed batsman Sediqullah Atal has seen the most significant improvement this week, climbing 37 spots to 33rd after scoring 143 and 98 runs in the last two matches against Ireland. Ireland’s Curtis Campher also made strides, moving up 23 places to 36th with scores of 84 and 96.
In ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, Canada’s Parghat Singh’s 42 runs against Scotland helped him rise 10 spots to 85th, while Ireland’s Andrew Balbirnie climbed five places to 47th.
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