Online Reporter
Zimbabwe quick Blessing Muzarabani has been the big winner following the latest update to the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
Muzarabani picked up nine wickets in a Player of the Match performance as Zimbabwe registered an impressive three-wicket triumph over Bangladesh in the first Test in Sylhet and the tall right-armer rose up the bowling rankings as a result to reach a new career-best rating of 705 points.
He is just the second Zimbabwean bowler to surpass the 700-point barrier in Test cricket.
The 28-year-old pacer rises four places to move to 15th overall on the rankings list for Test bowlers, with India seamer Jasprit Bumrah still maintaining his spot at the head of proceedings.
Muzarabani’s Zimbabwe teammate Wellington Masakadza re-enters the rankings for Test bowlers in equal 68th spot after five wickets against Bangladesh in his first Test appearance in more than two years, while there was some joy for the hosts as experienced spinner Mehidy Hasan gained four rungs to improve to 26th following his 10 scalps from the same match.
There are further gains for Bangladesh on the latest rankings for Test batters, with Mominul Haque, Jaker Ali and Najmul Hossain Shanto all making ground inside the top 100 following decent efforts against Zimbabwe.
Haque managed innings of 56 and 47 and improves five places to 48th overall, Ali jumps 10 spots to 50th following a half-century in the second innings of the Sylhet contest, while Shanto climbs four rungs to 53rd after knocks of 40 and 60. The list for Test batters is still headed by England veteran Joe Root, with Brian Bennett the biggest mover from a Zimbabwe perspective as he climbs from outside the top 100 to joint 90th following a pair of half-centuries against Bangladesh − ICC.
