Shaheen Afridi Becomes No. 1 ODI Bowler as Babar Azam Holds onto Top Batting Spot

Shaheen Afridi, the Pakistani fast bowler, has claimed the title of the best ODI bowler globally, according to the latest ODI Bowling Rankings. He achieved this prestigious position after a remarkable performance in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, where he is currently the joint leading wicket-taker alongside Australia's Adam Zampa, with both having taken 16 wickets each.

Afridi's outstanding form continued when he took three more wickets during Pakistan's convincing victory over Bangladesh in Kolkata, which not only kept his team's semi-final aspirations alive but also propelled the 23-year-old to the top of the ODI bowling rankings.

This remarkable rise for Afridi saw Australia's Josh Hazlewood slip to the second position, followed by India's Mohammed Siraj in third and South Africa's Keshav Maharaj in fourth place. The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Mujeeb Ur Rahman gained two places each, securing the seventh and eighth positions in the top 10 rankings.

It's worth noting that this is the first time Shaheen Afridi has achieved the No.1 ranking in any format of the game, adding to Pakistan's success as their skipper, Babar Azam, retains his top position in the ODI batting rankings. However, Babar's lead has narrowed to just two rating points after a low-scoring inning of nine runs against Bangladesh.

Babar Azam has accumulated a total of 216 runs in seven innings at the World Cup, and his closest rival, India's Shubman Gill, has not yet capitalized on the opportunity with just 104 runs from four innings. Other contenders are closing in, with Australia's David Warner moving up to fourth place with 413 runs in the tournament, and India's Rohit Sharma climbing three spots to fifth with 398 runs.

Scott Edwards, the Netherlands captain, made a significant jump on the ODI batting rankings, surging 11 places to share the 16th spot after accumulating 204 runs in six World Cup innings.

In the rankings for ODI all-rounders, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan maintains his leading position, while South Africa's Marco Jansen climbs two spots to ninth place, and New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra jumps 14 spots to 17th.