Saim Ayub reclaims No. 1 all-rounder spot; Harshit Rana gets sanctioned

WEB DESK: Pakistan’s rising star Saim Ayub has surged back to the summit of T20 cricket, reclaiming the No 1 all-rounder ranking as the ICC unveiled its latest player standings. With 294 rating points, Ayub leapfrogged Zimbabwe’s seasoned campaigner Sikandar Raza, reclaiming the position he had previously held in early October.

The latest rankings brought more good news for Pakistan: Mohammad Nawaz climbed from seventh to fourth among T20 all-rounders, marking his strongest career standing in recent months.

In the T20 batting charts, India’s explosive talent Abhishek Sharma sits comfortably at No 1, followed by England’s power-hitter Phil Salt at No 2. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan slipped two spots, dropping from fourth to sixth.

The T20 bowling rankings also saw dramatic movement. Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed made a major leap from eighth to fourth, while Nawaz continued his upward trend by rising two places to 11th.

Meanwhile, across formats, India’s Virat Kohli edged up to fourth in the ODI batting rankings. Pakistan’s Babar Azam remained steady at sixth, and Abrar Ahmed held his ground at ninth in the ODI bowling list.

HARSHIT RANA SANCTIONED AFTER INAPPROPRIATE GESTURE

Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana has been handed a Level One breach of the ICC Code of Conduct following an incident in the first ODI against South Africa.

The charge stems from a gesture Rana made toward South African batter Beavis after dismissing him in the 22nd over. The ICC deemed the act, classified under Article 2.5 relating to “using gestures that could provoke an aggressive response”, as unacceptable on the field of play.

Rana admitted the offence and accepted the match referee’s proposed sanction. As a result, one demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record.

The ICC said that pointing toward the dressing room after taking a wicket crosses the line of acceptable celebration, prompting immediate disciplinary action.