Babar Azam has returned to the top 10 of the ICC Test batting rankings after almost two years outside, following Pakistan's eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the second Test.
Reinstated as Pakistan’s Test captain, Babar moved up five places to tenth after scoring 88 in the first innings in Grenada before finishing the chase unbeaten on 24. He finished the series with 193 runs at 96.50, with two fifties. The rise marked his first return to the top 10 since August 2024.
The last two years marked a lean period with the bat for Babar, who fell out of the top 15 and then the top 20 as a result. Since September 2024, he has scored 712 runs in 20 innings at 39.55 with seven fifties and no hundreds. His last Test ton came way back in December 2022, when he made 161 against New Zealand in Karachi.
Babar, whose highest Test ranking is No.2, achieved in December 2022, first fell out of the top five in July 2023. He started the series against the West Indies as world No.22 but climbed to No.15 after the game in Tarouba, where he made 23 and 58 not out.
Also Read: Babar used to be Pakistan's whole gameplan - now he has no clear role
His latest performance came at an important point for Pakistan, who secured their first Test win away from home in more than three years.
The Pakistan captain was not the only batter to make progress. Abdullah Shafique made an even bigger jump after his unbeaten 160 in the first innings. The Pakistan No.3 climbed 25 places to 32nd in the Test batting rankings.
Sajid Khan also moved up the charts after his contribution with the ball. The right-arm spinner rose five places to 30th among Test bowlers and also climbed five places to 32nd in the all-rounders' rankings.
Travis Head remained the top-ranked Test batter, while Jasprit Bumrah retained the top spot among Test bowlers. Ravindra Jadeja continues to lead the Test all-rounder rankings.
Latest ICC Test rankings (as on August 12, 2026)
Batting
| Position | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Head | Australia | 853 |
| 2 | Harry Brook | England | 852 |
| 3 | Joe Root | England | 840 |
| 4 | Steve Smith | Australia | 831 |
| 5 | Temba Bavuma | South Africa | 775 |
| 6 | Kamindu Mendis | Sri Lanka | 744 |
| 7 | Shubman Gill | India | 743 |
| 8 | Rachin Ravindra | New Zealand | 740 |
| 9 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | India | 733 |
| 10 | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 716 |
Bowling
| Position | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | 870 |
| 2 | Matt Henry | New Zealand | 861 |
| 3 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 838 |
| 4 | Pat Cummins | Australia | 832 |
| 5 | Marco Jansen | South Africa | 825 |
| 6 | Scott Boland | Australia | 820 |
| 7 | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 807 |
| 8 | Noman Ali | Pakistan | 800 |
| 9 | Josh Hazlewood | Australia | 775 |
| 10 | Nathan Lyon | Australia | 753 |
All-rounder
| Position | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ravindra Jadeja | India | 446 |
| 2 | Marco Jansen | South Africa | 344 |
| 3= | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 284 |
| 3= | Mehidy Hasan Miraz | Bangladesh | 284 |
| 5 | Pat Cummins | Australia | 250 |
| 6 | Wiaan Mulder | South Africa | 245 |
| 7 | Washington Sundar | India | 244 |
| 8 | Gus Atkinson | England | 243 |
| 9 | Justin Greaves | West Indies | 225 |
| 10 | Joe Root | England | 209 |
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