Bangladesh's Shoriful Islam celebrates after the dismissal of Pakistan's Muhammad Rizwan during the fifth day of the second Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on Wednesday-AFP Bangladesh have climbed to a historic high of seventh place in the ICC Test rankings for the first time after completing a dominant series win over Pakistan, according to bdnews24.com.
The fresh ranking strengthens claims that this may be the strongest Test side in the country's 26-year history in the longest format.
Following their victory in the Sylhet Test, Bangladesh moved up two places to No. 7, breaking into the top eight for the first time in Test cricket rankings. Pakistan, who started the series in sixth position, slipped to eighth after successive defeats in Mirpur and Sylhet.
Bangladesh began the series ranked ninth with 67 rating points. Two wins later, their tally has risen to 78 points, marking a significant leap in consistency and performance.
The team had previously entered the top eight only once, in May 2018 following an ICC annual update, but had since remained fluctuating between eighth, ninth and 10th positions.
Under Najmul Hossain Shanto's leadership, they have now broken that cycle of inconsistency.
Pakistan, meanwhile, started the series with 89 rating points but dropped to 75 after their double defeat.
The combined effect of Bangladesh's rise and Pakistan's slump has also reshaped the mid-table, with Sri Lanka moving up to sixth place, while the West Indies slipped to ninth.
In the ICC World Test Championship standings, Bangladesh now sit fifth, their highest position ever in the competition. Across four matches, they have accumulated 28 points with a win percentage of 58.33.
Teams currently below Bangladesh in the standings include India, England, Pakistan and West Indies.
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