Yasir Shah becomes No. 1 bowler, first Pakistan on top after 20 years

Bengaluru, July 18: Pakistan's legspinner Yasir Shah today (July 18) became the number one Test bowler in the world after bowling his side to a 75-run victory over England at Lord's on Sunday (July 17).

Yasir sets record at Lord's Yasir sets record at Lord's

Shah is the first Pakistani bowler since 1996 to top the ICC Test Bowlers Rankings. The last Pakistani player to top the charts was also a legspinner - Mushtaq Ahmed.

File photo: Yasir Shah (left) celebrates a wicket with his team-mates

"Wrist spinner Yasir Shah has become the number-one ranked bowler in the world after he bowled Pakistan to 75 runs victory over England in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday," the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a media release on Monday.

"Yasir is the first Pakistan bowler to top rankings since Mushtaq Ahmed achieved the distinction in December 1996, while Shane Warne was the last wrist spinner to surge to the number-one position in December 2005," it added.

Shah replaces England fast bowler James Anderson at the top of the tree. Anderson did not play the Lord's Test due to injury.

The 30-year-old Shah took 6/72 and 4/69 at Lord's. This was his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests. He now has 86 victims in 13 Tests. Shah became the first spinner since England's Derek Underwood in 1974, to take 10 wickets in a Lord's Test.

India's offspinner Ravinchandran Ashwin is static at second position. Anderson has slipped to third. Stuart Broad is placed 4th followed by South African paceman Dale Steyn. Ravindra Jadejs is at 6th place.

ICC Test Rankings for Bowlers (As on July 18, 2016)

1. Yasir Shah (Pakistan)

2. R Ashwin (India)

3. James Anderson (England)

4. Stuart Broad (England)

5. Dale Steyn (South Africa)

6. Ravindra Jadeja (India)

7. Trent Boult (New Zealand)

8. Josh Hazlewood (Australia)

9. Morne Morkel (South Africa)

10. Vernon Philander (South Africa)

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