Babar Azam, Mohammad Siraj, and Shakib Al Hasan are the top-ranked cricketers from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, respectively, as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup begins on October 5th. All three of them hold the number one position in the One Day International (ODI) rankings for batting, bowling, and all-rounders in their respective teams.
Bangladesh’s captain Shakib Al Hasan is in a different category from Babar and Siraj. He is joined by Australia’s Josh Hazlewood and England’s Chris Woakes, making it three top-ranked all-rounders in the World Cup. Shakib has been the top all-rounder in ODI rankings since 2011 and has excelled in this role in four World Cups. In addition, he is ranked 17th among bowlers in the world, the highest among Bangladeshi players, and their best batsman at the moment is Mushfiqur Rahim, who is ranked 21st.
Australia’s David Warner is the top-ranked batsman for the upcoming World Cup, with a ranking of 6th in the world. Among bowlers, Josh Hazlewood holds the top spot, while in the all-rounder category, Hazlewood is ranked 14th. Australia’s all-rounder, Mitchell Santner, shares the top spot in the all-rounder rankings.
India is the only team with the top-ranked players in all three categories. India is also currently ranked as the number one team in the ICC ODI rankings. Shubman Gill is the top-ranked batsman in India and is second overall. Mohammad Siraj is the top-ranked bowler globally, and Hardik Pandya is the top all-rounder, ranking 7th in the world.
For Afghanistan, their top-ranked players are Ibrahim Zadran (18th among batsmen), Mujib Ur Rahman (3rd among bowlers), and Mohammad Nabi (2nd among all-rounders). While Zadran is outside the top 10 among batsmen, Mujib and Nabi are among the top 3 in bowling and all-rounders, respectively.
In England’s team, David Malan is the top-ranked batsman, ranking 14th globally. Among bowlers, Chris Woakes is the top-ranked, ranking 12th, and he also holds the top spot in the all-rounder category, followed by England’s Moeen Ali.
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson is the top-ranked batsman, placed 28th globally. Trent Boult and Matt Henry are among the top 10 bowlers in the world, with Boult ranked 5th and Henry 9th. In the all-rounder category, Mitchell Santner holds the 11th spot.
For Pakistan, Babar Azam is the top-ranked batsman globally. Among bowlers, Shaheen Afridi is ranked 8th, and in the all-rounder category, Shadab Khan is ranked 13th.
In South Africa’s team, Rassie van der Dussen is the top-ranked batsman, with a ranking of 3rd. Among bowlers, Keshav Maharaj holds the 14th spot, and all-rounder position is taken by Andile Phehlukwayo (23rd).
Sri Lanka’s top-ranked players include Charith Asalanka (27th among batsmen), Mahish Thikshana (16th among bowlers), and Dhananjaya de Silva (17th among all-rounders). However, Sri Lanka’s leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga is currently injured and not part of the World Cup.
Please note that these rankings are subject to change based on player performances in the World Cup matches.
