Babar Azam playing for Pakistan [Source: AFP]In a significant development, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has returned to the top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings after playing a crucial role in his team's eight-wicket victory against the West Indies.It is vital to note that Pakistan ended a wait of more than three years for a Test win away from home by beating the West Indies in the second match of the Pakistan tour of the West Indies 2026.Also Read: Babar Azam Goes Past Waqar Younis' Record For Most Player Of The Series Awards For PakistanBabar Azam Ends Two-Year Wait To Re-Enter Test Batting Top 10Babar Azam led from the front and scored 88 runs off 147 balls in the first innings of the 2nd Test before finishing the chase with an unbeaten 24 off 30 balls. Overall, taking a look at his stats, he has made 193 runs in 4 innings (across two Test matches) at an average of 96.50 and a strike rate of 59.94.The latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings have also helped Babar Azam return to the top 10 for the first time since early September 2024.Babar Azam is not the only Pakistan player to make gains. Batter Abdullah Shafique and spinner Sajid Khan also impressed during the series and were rewarded in the latest rankings.Abdullah Shafique was the star performer of the series and made 160 runs (323 balls) in 1st innings of the second Test. His excellent knock helped him climb 25 places to 32nd among Test batters.Sajid Khan also played an important role with the ball. The right-arm spinner was Pakistan’s best bowler in the Test. He moved up five places to 30th among Test bowlers and also climbed five positions in the Test all-rounder rankings.More Changes In ICC RankingsIt is vital to note that there have also been notable changes in the the ODI rankings after the recent matches between Afghanistan and Ireland.Afghanistan's star player Rahmanullah Gurbaz climbed three places and is now 11th among ODI batters. The 24-year-old player made 103 runs in 2 innings at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of 96.26.Hashmatullah Shahidi also moved up four places to 50th after scoring 58 runs in two innings. Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher returned to the ODI rankings and is now joint-59th.Rashid Khan also strengthened his position at the top of the ODI bowling rankings. He was the star of the series and bagged 9 wickets in 2 innings at an economy rate of 4.42, which also included a brilliant six-wicket haul in the second match against Ireland. Ireland's Mark Adair also returned to the ODI rankings at 17th.It is important to note that Australia’s Travis Head is at the top of the Test rankings with 853 points. At the same time, Ravindra Jadeja continues to hold the No. 1 spot among Test all-rounders, and Jasprit Bumrah leads the Men's Test Bowling rankings.Also Read: Sri Lanka Squad vs India For 1st Test Announced; Dhananjaya de Silva To Lead
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