Robinson, Tongue surge in ICC Test rankings after England's 2-0 lead over Pakistan
Synopsis
Ollie Robinson's 8 for 35 at Lord's has vaulted him to fifth in the world — one place shy of his career-best — while Josh Tongue hit a career-high 13th. But the rankings story stretches beyond England: Sri Lanka's Pasindu Sooriyabandara surged a staggering 170 places after just his second Test, signalling a new generation making its mark across formats.
Key Takeaways
Ollie Robinson jumped six places to 5th in ICC Test bowling rankings after match figures of 8 for 35 at Lord's ; has gained 22 places across the series.
Josh Tongue reached a career-best 13th , climbing 20 places over the England vs Pakistan series.
Mohammad Abbas moved up 10 places to joint-15th with a nine-wicket match haul despite Pakistan trailing 2-0 .
Saud Shakeel rose 15 places to 18th in batting rankings; Babar Azam slipped five places to 15th .
Pasindu Sooriyabandara surged 170 places to 74th after scores of 80 and 92 in only his second Test.
Dewald Brevis reached a career-best 4th in T20I rankings after consecutive big scores in the Windhoek tri-series.
Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue have made significant gains in the latest ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, rewarding their central roles in England's commanding 2-0 series lead over Pakistan in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship contest. The rankings update, released on 2 September, reflects performances from both the England-Pakistan series and the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Robinson and Tongue's Career-Best Climbs
Ollie Robinson, named Player of the Match in both Tests, delivered an exceptional outing at Lord's, taking four wickets in each innings for match figures of 8 for 35. The right-arm quick has jumped six places to fifth in the bowling rankings — just one spot shy of his career-best fourth, which he first reached in February 2023. Across the two-match series, Robinson has risen 22 places in total.
Josh Tongue has also posted a career-best ranking, moving up four places to 13th after claiming five wickets in the match. The England pacer has climbed 20 places over the course of the series — a remarkable surge for a bowler still establishing himself at the top level.
Pakistan Bowlers Gain Despite Series Deficit
Pakistan's bowlers have made notable individual gains even as their side trails in the series. Seam bowler Mohammad Abbas moved up 10 places to joint-15th following a nine-wicket match haul, while Mohammad Ali jumped 11 spots to reach 81st on the back of a five-wicket performance. Their returns offer some consolation in an otherwise difficult series for Pakistan.
Batter Rankings: Shakeel Rises, Babar Slips
Among the batters, Pakistan's Saud Shakeel was one of the biggest movers, climbing 15 places to 18th after a second-innings knock of 97. He is now the second-highest ranked Pakistan batter, behind captain Babar Azam — who, in contrast, slipped five places to 15th. England's Jordan Cox rose six places to 76th, while Dan Lawrence gained 10 spots to reach 92nd.
India-Sri Lanka Colombo Test Shakes Up Rankings
Sri Lanka's Sonal Dinusha, who struck centuries in both innings in Colombo, climbed to a career-best 25th in the batting rankings. The all-rounder is averaging 86.57 with the bat across his first five Test matches. India's Devdutt Padikkal moved up five places to a career-best 54th after scoring 117 in the first innings, while Dhruv Jurel rose from 83rd to 65th following an unbeaten 115.
Sri Lanka's Pasindu Sooriyabandara recorded one of the sharpest ranking jumps, surging 170 places to 74th after scores of 80 and 92 in only his second Test. Kamindu Mendis returned to the top 10 after a half-century in the second innings. On the bowling front, Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando rose four places to 11th, India spinner Manav Suthar climbed four spots to 44th, and Mohammed Siraj moved up one place to 17th.
T20I Rankings: Brevis Reaches Career-Best Fourth
In the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings, South Africa's Dewald Brevis has reached a career-best fourth position, climbing six places after scoring 75 against Namibia and following up with an unbeaten 75 and 41 against Zimbabwe in the ongoing tri-series in Windhoek. Namibia's Jan Frylinck moved up eight places to 98th among T20I batters, while Zimbabwe pacer Brad Evans gained eight spots to reach 26th in the bowling rankings. The next rankings update will factor in the conclusion of the tri-series and any further England-Pakistan action.
Point of View
But the more revealing number is the 22-place series gain — suggesting the ICC rankings are now catching up with what the scorecards have been saying for weeks. The Pakistan bowling gains for Abbas and Ali are a statistical footnote to a series their team is losing; individual hauls rarely redeem collective collapses. The real subplot is Sooriyabandara's 170-place jump — a ranking movement of that magnitude in a second Test appearance is almost without precedent, and it points to a Sri Lanka batting pipeline that could complicate Asian Test cricket's established hierarchy sooner than expected.
NationPress
2 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much has Ollie Robinson risen in the ICC Test bowling rankings?
Ollie Robinson has jumped six places to fifth in the latest ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, gaining 22 places in total since the start of the England-Pakistan series. He is now just one position shy of his career-best ranking of fourth, which he first achieved in February 2023.
What is Josh Tongue's current ICC Test ranking?
Josh Tongue has reached a career-best 13th position in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, moving up four places after claiming five wickets in the Lord's Test. He has climbed 20 places over the course of the England-Pakistan series.
How did Pakistan's bowlers perform in the rankings despite the 2-0 deficit?
Despite Pakistan trailing England 2-0 in the series, seam bowler Mohammad Abbas moved up 10 places to joint-15th after a nine-wicket match haul, and Mohammad Ali jumped 11 spots to 81st following a five-wicket performance. Individual gains have not translated into series results for Pakistan.
Who is Pasindu Sooriyabandara and why did he surge 170 places in the rankings?
Pasindu Sooriyabandara is a Sri Lanka batter who scored 80 and 92 in only his second Test, against India in Colombo, earning him a 170-place surge to 74th in the ICC batting rankings. The jump is one of the largest single-update climbs in recent ranking history.
What happened to Babar Azam's ICC Test ranking in this update?
Babar Azam slipped five places to 15th in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings in the latest update. His Pakistan teammate Saud Shakeel, meanwhile, rose 15 places to 18th, closing the gap on Babar as Pakistan's highest-ranked batter.
