Harry Brook becomes No.1 Test batter in ICC rankings
New Delhi, June 10
England's Test vice-captain Harry Brook has climbed to the top of the ICC Men's Test batting rankings, replacing teammate Joe Root in the latest update on Wednesday.
Brook regained the No. 1 position following his half-century in the first innings of a low-scoring ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 match against New Zealand at Lord's, which England went on to win by 115 runs, according to ICC.
Root could only manage innings of one and eight across the Test, with Brook reclaiming the premier position that he first rose to back in December 2024.
Australia's Travis Head has moved up to second place in the rankings, while Joe Root has slipped to third ahead of the second Test between England and New Zealand at The Oval, scheduled from June 17.
There were several other notable movements in the rankings. India's Shubman Gill has risen two places to eighth after scoring a century against Afghanistan, while England's Ben Duckett has moved up three spots to 15th. Jamie Smith (up five places to 23rd) and New Zealand's Glenn Phillips (up 15 places to 40th) also made gains following their performances at Lord's.
Among bowlers, England pacer Gus Atkinson climbed seven places to reach 10th in the Test rankings and also moved up two spots to sixth among all-rounders.
Pacers Kyle Jamieson (22nd) and Ollie Robinson (23rd) returned to the Test bowling rankings after extended breaks from red-ball cricket, while Nathan Smith advanced 16 places to 43rd.
In the ODI rankings, Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed emerged as a major mover following his side's series win over Australia, taking six wickets to rise to second place among ODI bowlers.
Teammate Shaheen Afridi also climbed four spots to ninth after picking up seven wickets in the series, while Australia's Nathan Ellis jumped 13 places to 31st. Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana rose 23 places to 24th after a strong showing in Mirpur.
Among ODI batters, Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis moved up to 12th, Janith Liyanage climbed to 22nd, and Bangladesh's Tanzid Hasan improved to 33rd in the latest rankings update.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Shubman Gill moving up to 8th is fantastic news for Indian cricket! 🇮🇳 That century against Afghanistan was crucial. Hope he keeps climbing and challenges the top spots soon. The future is bright for our batting lineup!
Honestly, I'm more interested in how the ICC rankings are calculated. Brook had a great series, but moving past Root after just one match? Seems a bit arbitrary. Also, where's Virat Kohli in all this? He's been consistent in Tests but somehow never gets the ranking love.
English cricket is really stepping up. Brook, Atkinson, Duckett—they're all young and hungry. Meanwhile, Australia's Head at #2 is no joke either. This is what makes Test cricket exciting—a changing of the guard. As an Indian fan, I just hope our bowlers can keep up with these numbers!
Good for Brook, but I'm more excited about the ODI rankings! Abrar Ahmed at #2 and Shaheen Afridi climbing—Pakistan's bowling is looking dangerous. And our boys in blue? Need to step up in the ODI format too. Rankings reflect performance, but there's still a long way to go for consistency. 😊
As a neutral fan, I love seeing young players rise. Brook deserves it—he's fearless. But let's not forget, rankings don't tell the whole story. Root's consistency across formats is unmatched. Also, great to see bowlers like Atkinson and Jamieson making comebacks. Test cricket is in good hands!
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