Harry Brook is back at the top. The England vice,captain has reclaimed the No.1 spot as batter in the ICC Test rankings, pushing teammate Joe Root down to third. It is one of the biggest ranking shifts of the year and it happened at the home of cricket.
What Triggered the Change
Brook regained the top position after scoring a crucial half century in the first innings of England’s low,scoring WTC (World Test Championship) fixture against New Zealand at Lord’s Test England won by 115 runs.
Root could only manage scores of 1 and 8 across the match. That was enough for Brook to move past him. Brook now sits at 869 rating points at the summit of the ICC Test batting rankings position he first reached back in December 2024.
ICC Test Rankings
The updated standings after the Lord’s Test:
| Rank | Player | Country |
| 1 | Harry Brook | England |
| 2 | Travis Head | Australia |
| 3 | Joe Root | England |
| 4 | Steve Smith | Australia |
| 5 | Kamindu Mendis | Sri Lanka |
| 6 | Kane Williamson | New Zealand |
| 7 | Temba Bavuma | South Africa |
| 8 | Shubman Gill | India |
| 9 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | India |
| 10 | Dinesh Chandimal | Sri Lanka |
Travis Head moves up to second, splitting the two England stars. Root drops to third ahead of the second Test at The Oval on June 17.
Shubman Gill Climbs to No.8
Gill gained two places after scoring a century against Afghanistan in the one,off Test. He is now India’s top,ranked batter in Test cricket making strong signal of his growing authority at the top of the order.
Ben Duckett moved up three spots to 15th. Jamie Smith jumped five places to equal 23rd. Glenn Phillips was another big mover, gaining 15 slots to reach 40th.
Gus Atkinson Breaks into ICC Test Bowling Top 10
England’s Gus Atkinson is another name making serious noise in the rankings. He gained seven spots to move to 10th in the ICC Test bowling charts with his best,ever position. Atkinson also improved two rungs to sixth in the Test all,rounders list after a dominant showing at Lord’s.
Kyle Jamieson and Ollie Robinson re,enter the Test bowler rankings after long breaks from red,ball cricket. New Zealand seamer Nathan Smith gained 16 slots to reach 43rd.
Pakistan’s Big Winners
The ODI bowling rankings also changed significantly and Pakistan came out on top.
Abrar Ahmed collected six wickets across the series against Australia. He gained two spots and is now ranked No.2 among all ODI bowlers in the world. Only Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan sits above him. It is a career,best position for the 25,year,old spinner.
Shaheen Afridi rose four places to ninth after taking seven wickets across the three,match series. Pakistan’s pace spearhead is firmly back in the ODI bowling top 10.
Nahid Rana Jumps 23 Places
One of the biggest individual movers in the entire update is Bangladesh’s Nahid Rana. The 23,year,old right,arm pacer jumped 23 slots to reach 24th in the ICC ODI bowling rankings after picking up a four,wicket haul in the series opener against Australia in Mirpur.
Rana is quickly becoming one of the most exciting fast bowlers in Asian cricket. This rankings jump is well,earned and reflects the consistency he has shown at international level.
What Happens Next
The second Test between England and New Zealand begins at The Oval on June 17. Both Brook and Root will be in action again. The gap between them is close enough that one good innings from Root could put him back at the top.
The race for the No.1 Test batting ranking is the most compelling individual battle in world cricket right now. Brook holds the crown — but nothing is settled yet.
