Harry Brook Regains Top Spot in ICC Test Batting Rankings

England’s Harry Brook has returned to the top position in the ICC Test batting rankings for the fourth time. Following a disappointing performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, Australia’s Travis Head has dropped in the rankings, while Steve Smith has risen to third place. Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 84 runs, achieving his career-best Test ranking of 20th.

Kathmandu, 19 August – England batsman Harry Brook has once again claimed the number one spot in the ICC Test batting rankings. After Travis Head underperformed in the first Test against Bangladesh, dropping down the list, Brook has ascended to first place for the fourth time. Brook initially reached the top spot in December 2024. In the latest rankings, Joe Root and Steve Smith have also surpassed Travis Head.

In the first Test held at Darwin, Head managed just 22 and 17 runs in his two innings. Smith scored 71 runs in the first innings and 44 in the second, improving his position to third place. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto achieved a career-high ranking by scoring 84 runs in his sole innings of the first Test, jumping nine places to 20th.

Shanto’s 659 rating points rank as the sixth highest among Bangladeshi batsmen. Australia’s Cameron Green also scored a century in the second innings, moving up five spots to 30th place. Other Bangladeshi batsmen rankings include Mominul Haque at 31st, Shadman Islam at 58th, Mehidy Hasan Miraz at 59th, and Tanzid Hasan at 88th. On the bowling front, Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud made significant strides by taking 6 wickets for 55 runs in the first innings, climbing 26 places to 38th. Mehidy Hasan improved his position by three spots to 24th after taking five wickets in the second innings.

Meanwhile, in the One-Day International batting rankings, Afghanistan’s Sediqullah Atal has made remarkable progress. He scored 143 and 98 runs in the last two matches of the five-game series against Ireland, climbing 37 places to reach 33rd. Ireland’s Curtis Campher also improved his ranking by 23 positions to 36th. Canada’s Pangut Singh rose 10 places to 85th, and Ireland’s Andrew Balbirnie moved up five spots to 47th.