Taskin, Shoriful break into top 12 in ICC ODI bowling rankings

Bangladesh's pace attack has received a boost in the latest ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings, with Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam making significant gains in the bowling chart.

Taskin climbed nine places to 12th, while left-arm pacer Shoriful moved up two positions to 11th in the rankings released on Wednesday.

Taskin's rise comes after an encouraging performance in the ongoing tri-nation ODI series involving Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in the United Arab Emirates. He claimed three wickets against Zimbabwe, although Bangladesh suffered a 99-run defeat in the match.

The rankings update places both Bangladesh pacers among the leading bowlers in the 50-over format, offering a positive sign for the team's pace resources as it continues its preparations for upcoming international assignments.

For Taskin, the nine-place jump represents a substantial improvement in his standing. Shoriful's move to 11th keeps him just outside the top 10, underlining his growing presence in the international ODI bowling rankings.

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan continues to lead the bowling chart. His rating increased to 742 after he took four wickets for 17 runs against Zimbabwe. Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed occupies second place, followed by South Africa's Keshav Maharaj, with Rashid holding an 80-point advantage over Abrar.

There was also movement in the ODI batting rankings. Afghanistan's Sediqullah Atal advanced 12 places to 20th after scoring 102 off 110 balls against Zimbabwe. Pakistan's Salman Agha rose to 12th, while England's Ben Duckett moved to 13th following their recent ODI series in Rawalpindi.

The latest rankings also reflected changes in T20I cricket after the India-West Indies series. West Indies captain Shai Hope climbed two places to ninth among batters, Sherfane Rutherford advanced six spots to 18th, and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie rose 10 places to 26th among bowlers.

For Bangladesh, however, the progress of Taskin and Shoriful stands out as a timely individual achievement amid the team's ongoing efforts to strengthen its bowling performances in international cricket.