Sport
Top ranked performers from each team rated ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup
With the start of the much anticipated ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 just days away, warm up matches are now in full swing and excitement among fans is growing.
Here, we take a look at the best performers in each category of the MRF Tyres ODI Player Rankings – players that will be in action at the ODI World Cup.
Afghanistan
Top ranked batter: Ibrahim Zadran (#18)
Top ranked bowler: Mujeeb Ur Rahman (#3)
Top ranked all-rounder: Mohammad Nabi (#2)
Afghanistan have two players inside the top three in the ODI rankings category, with former captain Mohammad Nabi leading the way as the No.2 ranked all-rounder.
Spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is third in the ODI bowler rankings, while fellow tweaker Rashid Khan (fourth) is not far behind in this category. Young right-hander Ibrahim Zadran is Afghanistan’s highest rated batter at 18.
Australia
Top ranked batter: David Warner (#6)
Top ranked bowler: Josh Hazlewood (#2)
Top ranked all-rounder: Josh Hazlewood (#14)
In-form veteran David Warner continues to show great consistency at ODI level and is currently rated the highest Australian player on the list of ODI batters in sixth.
Experienced seamer Josh Hazlewood recently lost the No.1 ranking for bowlers to India’s Mohammed Siraj, but the right-armer remains second in this category and surprisingly high 14th in the list for all-rounders.
Bangladesh
Top ranked batter: Mushfiqur Rahim (#21)
Top ranked bowler: Shakib Al Hasan (#17)
Top ranked all-rounder: Shakib Al Hasan (#1)
Evergreen skipper Shakib Al Hasan continues to re-write the record books on the eve of his fifth World Cup. with the Bangladesh star still holding on to the No.1 ranking in the category for ODI all-rounders.
Shakib has previously appeared at the 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 editions and amazingly held on to the No.1 ODI all-rounder ranking at the start of every tournament since his second appearance in 2011.
The veteran is also Bangladesh’s highest ranked bowler at 17, while Mushfiqur Rahim has their best ranking for batters at 21.
England
Top ranked batter: Dawid Malan (#14)
Top ranked bowler: Chris Woakes (#12)
Top ranked all-rounder: Chris Woakes (equal #11)
The ever-consistent Dawid Malan is England’s highest ranked batter, although skipper Jos Buttler (#17) is just three rungs behind the experienced No.3 and sure to press hard during the World Cup.
Reliable quick Chris Woakes holds the best ranking in both the bowling and all-rounder category, which isn’t a huge surprise since the tall right-armer was a major reason why England won the most recent World Cup when he claimed 16 scalps at the 2019 event.
India
Top ranked batter: Shubman Gill (#2)
Top ranked bowler: Mohammed Siraj (#1)
Top ranked all-rounder: Hardik Pandya (#7)
India are the only side at the World Cup that can boast to have a player inside the top 10 in each ranking category and newly-crowned No.1 ranked bowler Mohammed Siraj leads the way following his match-winning spell against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final earlier this month.
That catapulted Siraj past Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood and into the top ranking for ODI bowlers, while young gun Shubman Gill is within just 10 rating points of claiming the No.1 ranking for batters from Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. The experienced Hardik Pandya is also inside the top 10 in the all-rounder category.
Netherlands
Top ranked batter: Scott Edwards (#39)
Top ranked bowler: Logan van Beek (#51)
Top ranked all-rounder: Bas de Leede (#49)
Emerging star Bas de Leede is the Netherlands’ highest ranked all-rounder, but don’t be surprised to see the talented de Leede turn a few heads with his performances in India if he can continue the form that saw him dominate the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament earlier in the year.
Reliable captain Scott Edwards remains the Netherlands’ best in the ODI batter rankings at No.39, while seamer Logan van Beek holds the premier spot for the Dutch for bowlers.
New Zealand
Top ranked batter: Kane Williamson (equal #28)
Top ranked bowler: Trent Boult (#5)
Top ranked all-rounder: Mitchell Santner (equal #11)
The Kiwis have two players inside the top 10 of the ODI bowling rankings, with underrated left-armer Trent Boult leading the way in fifth ahead of fellow pacer Matt Henry in ninth.
Skipper Kane Williamson remains the leading New Zealand player on the list for batters at equal 28th despite his recent injury woes, while Mitchell Santner is equal 11th on the rankings for ODI all-rounders.
Pakistan
Top ranked batter: Babar Azam (#1)
Top ranked bowler: Shaheen Afridi (#8)
Top ranked all-rounder: Shadab Khan (#13)
Babar Azam has been a mainstay at the top of the ODI batter rankings in recent times and it comes as no surprise that the Pakistan skipper heads into this year’s World Cup hanging on to the premier position.
The always dangerous Shaheen Afridi is comfortably nestled inside the top 10 of the bowler rankings, while Shadab Khan goes about his business with a minimum of fuss in 13th position on the list for ODI all-rounders.
South Africa
Top ranked batter: Rassie van der Dussen (#3)
Top ranked bowler: Keshav Maharaj (#14)
Top ranked all-rounder: Aiden Markram (equal #23)
Middle-order performer Rassie van der Dussen has been holding his ground near the top of the ODI batter rankings in recent times and the right-hander enters the World Cup with just Babar Azam and Shubman Gill in front of him in the current list.
Experienced tweaker Keshav Maharaj is 14th on the list for ODI bowlers, while Aiden Markram continues to thrive at international level and holds on the equal 23rd ranking for all-rounders.
Sri Lanka
Top ranked batter: Charith Asalanka (#27)
Top ranked bowler: Maheesh Theekshana (#16)
Top ranked all-rounder: Dhananjaya de Silva (#17)
With star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga injured and set to miss the World Cup, much of Sri Lanka’s fortunes with the ball will fall to fellow tweaker Maheesh Theekshana (16th on the current ODI rankings for bowlers).
It’s Charith Asalanka that is Sri Lanka’s highest ranked batter at 27, while Dhananjaya de Silva occupies their best slot in the all-rounder ranks at 17.
Watch all warm up matches live
Ariana Television Network kicked off its live broadcast campaign of the ODI World Cup on Friday, September 29. Sadly, Afghanistan’s first warm up match – against South Africa – was rained out.
Both Afghanistan’s warm up matches will be broadcast live, on Ariana Television, along with other key matches. However, the balance of matches will be streamed live on our website.
Ariana Television broadcasts of warm up matches will start at 12:30pm on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Live coverage of other matches, on the same days, will be streamed on our websites.
For the full warm up broadcast and streaming schedule see table below.
Japan, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan have secured qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 after strong performances at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup.
The three Asian sides join hosts Qatar as confirmed representatives from the Asian Football Confederation for the expanded 48-team tournament later this year.
Japan booked their place after defeating Qatar and then beating China 2-1 in Group B. Anthony Motosuna and Maki Kitahara scored the goals that sealed a second straight victory and guaranteed qualification.
Saudi Arabia also advanced from Group A after a 2-0 win over Thailand. Marwan Al Yami opened the scoring early before Hassan Al Okrush added a late second goal, giving the Saudis six points from two matches following their opening win against Myanmar.
Tajikistan joined them after edging Myanmar 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Asadbek Makhtumov. The victory followed Tajikistan’s opening 2-0 win over Thailand and secured their place in Qatar 2026.
More teams could qualify on Sunday as the second round of matches in Groups C and D continues, with the final group-stage fixtures set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A delegation from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has traveled to China following an official invitation from the Chinese government, in a move aimed at strengthening sports diplomacy and expanding technical cooperation in cricket between the two countries.
The delegation includes national coach Nawroz Mangal and players Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Faisal Shinozada, and Wahidullah Zadran.
Before their departure, ACB Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan met with the delegation, reaffirming the board’s commitment to developing and globalizing Afghan cricket. He also referenced previous international engagement efforts, including a memorandum of understanding signed with the Uzbekistan Cricket Federation focused on cricket development and technical collaboration.
Naseeb Khan highlighted existing economic and industrial ties between Afghanistan and China, expressing optimism that sports cooperation—particularly in cricket—could further strengthen bilateral relations. He emphasized that knowledge-sharing, technical exchange, and joint development initiatives would support the growth of the sport in both countries.
During their visit, the Afghan delegation is expected to hold discussions on cricket development, community engagement, and the role of sport in society. The program also includes participation in workshops, attendance at a cricket match organized by Chinese cricket authorities, and visits to sports technology and innovation exhibitions.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board has increasingly pursued regional partnerships in recent years. Last year, it signed a cooperation agreement with the Uzbekistan Cricket Federation covering technical exchange, capacity building, development programs, and educational workshops aimed at expanding cricket infrastructure and expertise in the region.
The United States is set to welcome the world with a major opening ceremony for the FIFA World Cup 2026, as Los Angeles prepares to host a star-powered celebration marking the start of the tournament across North America.
FIFA announced that global music stars including Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla will headline the ceremony at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday, June 12.
The event will officially launch what FIFA described as a “historic summer of football” across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Organizers said the ceremony will combine football, music and entertainment in a large-scale production designed to reflect the cultural diversity and global appeal of the tournament.
Gianni Infantino said the ceremony in Los Angeles would showcase the scale and ambition of the 2026 World Cup, adding that the lineup of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the power of music to unite people.
For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, three opening ceremonies will take place across the three host nations. Mexico City will host the first ceremony on June 11, followed by celebrations in Toronto and Los Angeles on June 12.
The opening match in the United States will see the U.S. national team face Paraguay. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature a record 104 matches across 16 host cities, beginning on June 11 in Mexico City and ending with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Football fans in Afghanistan will be able to follow all the action live on the Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN), which holds the exclusive broadcasting rights for the tournament in the country. ATN will broadcast matches live on Ariana Television, providing full coverage of the world’s biggest football event for Afghan viewers.
Fans are also encouraged to stay connected with Ariana Television and Ariana News on social media for the latest updates, including match schedules, team news, and other FIFA World Cup 2026 developments as the tournament draws closer.
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