Kagiso Rabada ranked number one Test bowler in the world

By SABC Sport
30th October 2024

South Africa seamer Kagiso Rabada has risen to the top of the latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings.

Rabada claims the No.1 bowling spot on the back of strong form for the Proteas during the ongoing ICC World Test Championship, with the right-armer taking his 300th Test wicket during South Africa's recent seven-wicket triumph over Bangladesh in Mirpur.

The Johannesburg native's strike rate has been outstanding, as he was the quickest in history in terms of balls bowled to reach the 300 Test wicket mark.

The 29-year-old collected nine wickets during that contest to play a major role in the Proteas' victory and rose three places to jump past Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Ravichadran Ashwin in the process to return to the No.1 ranking for Test bowlers for the first time since the start of 2019.

Rabada first held the premier ranking in January 2018 and has been consistently sitting inside the top 10 for the bulk of the time since he relinquished the No.1 spot in February 2019.

Hazlewood sits in second place on the rankings for Test bowlers as Bumrah (third) and Ashwin (fourth) lose ground, while Pakistan spinner Noman Ali is a new member inside the top 10 after his heroics in the third and final Test of his side's recent series against England in Rawalpindi.

Noman took nine wickets for the match and was rewarded with an eight-spot jump to ninth overall and a new career-high rating on the list for Test bowlers, while fellow spinner and teammate Sajid Khan also earns the best rating of his career in improving 12 spots to 38th following his 10 scalps from the same contest.

New Zealand's hero from their series-clinching victory over India Mitchell Santner also earns a new career-high rating for his 13-wicket haul in Pune, with the left-armer rising a whopping 30 rungs to move to 44th overall on the latest list for Test bowlers.

Teammate Rachin Ravindra (up eight spots to 10th) is among the big movers on the updated rankings for Test batters, with England veteran Joe Root remaining well out in front of this category despite a pair of low scores in the third Test against Pakistan.