South Africa’s Marco Jansen has reached new heights in the ICC Test bowling rankings, claiming a career-best fifth position. His outstanding second-innings performance of 6-52 against Pakistan in Centurion propelled him past 800 rating points for the first time, marking a significant milestone in his burgeoning career.
Meanwhile, fellow South African pacer Dane Paterson has also seen a rise in his rankings. His first-innings figures of 5-61 against Pakistan moved him up eight places to 46th.
The news wasn’t as positive for Kagiso Rabada, who dropped two places from second to fourth, now holding a rating of 832.
In the batting rankings, Proteas opener Aiden Markram’s impressive Man of the Match performance, with scores of 89 and 37, earned him a move up eight spots to 16th position. However, South African captain Temba Bavuma slipped two places to ninth, despite maintaining his career-best rating of 753.
Below are the updated ICC Test bowling and batting rankings as of December 31, 2024:
Men’s Test Bowling Rankings
| Pos | Player | Team | Rating | Career Best Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | 907 | 907 v Australia at Melbourne 2024 |
| 2 | Josh Hazlewood | Australia | 843 | 864 v India at Bengaluru 2017 |
| 3 | Pat Cummins | Australia | 837 | 914 v England at Old Trafford 2019 |
| 4 | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 832 | 902 v Australia at Gqeberha 2018 |
| 5 | Marco Jansen | South Africa | 803 | 803 v Pakistan at Centurion 2024 |
| 6 | Matt Henry | New Zealand | 782 | 782 v England at Hamilton 2024 |
| 7 | Nathan Lyon | Australia | 772 | 801 v New Zealand at Christchurch 2024 |
| 8 | Prabath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 768 | 801 v New Zealand at Galle 2024 |
| 9 | Noman Ali | Pakistan | 751 | 759 v England at Rawalpindi 2024 |
| 10 | Ravindra Jadeja | India | 750 | 899 v Australia at Ranchi 2017 |
Men’s Test Batting Rankings
| Pos | Player | Team | Rating | Career Best Rating |
| 1 | Joe Root | England | 895 | 932 v Pakistan at Multan 2024 |
| 2 | Harry Brook | England | 876 | 898 v New Zealand at Wellington 2024 |
| 3 | Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 867 | 919 v Pakistan at Christchurch 2021 |
| 4 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | India | 854 | 854 v Australia at Melbourne 2024 |
| 5 | Travis Head | Australia | 780 | 884 v India at The Oval 2023 |
| 6 | Saud Shakeel | Pakistan | 764 | 764 v South Africa at Centurion 2024 |
| 7 | Steven Smith | Australia | 763 | 947 v South Africa at Durban 2018 |
| 8 | Kamindu Mendis | Sri Lanka | 759 | 759 v South Africa at Gqeberha 2024 |
| 9 | Temba Bavuma | South Africa | 753 | 753 v Pakistan at Centurion 2024 |
| 10 | Daryl Mitchell | New Zealand | 725 | 804 v Bangladesh at Sylhet 2023 |
The rankings reflect both the stellar performances and challenges faced by the Proteas players in the current season. Marco Jansen’s rise symbolizes a bright future for South African cricket.
Leave a Reply