Hafeez and Azhar Ali climb up in ICC Test Rankings

SYED FAHAD AHMED

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top batsmen Muhammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali have climbed up in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after both sportsmen scored centuries. Azhar Ali stroked a marvelous 157, featuring in 287 run second wicket partnership with the opener Hafeez, against Sri Lanka in the second Test played at the Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo which resulted in a draw, on Wednesday.

According to a press release the effort has pushed Azhar Ali up six places to 13^th position, whereas Hafeez’s remarkable 196 in the first innings helped him climb up six places to 30^th position. Other Pakistani batsmen who moved up the list include Misbah-ul-Haq up to 11 and Taufeeq Umar moving up six places to the 40^th position.

While in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan has vaulted seventeen places and is now in 42^nd position because of his five for 73 in the first innings. Furthermore, Pakistan’s Abdul Rehman has climbed up two places and now occupys the 11^th spot on the list. Pakistan’s Spinner Saeed Ajmal enjoys the second position on the bowlers’ list.