Pakistan’s left-arm spinner, Sadia Iqbal, made history as the first Pakistani cricketer to top the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20I rankings, briefly overtaking England’s long-standing number-one spinner, Sophie Ecclestone.
Sadia achieved the remarkable feat after a stellar performance in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, where she took three wickets for just 17 runs in a Group A match against Sri Lanka. This performance elevated her to 757 rating points, drawing her level with Ecclestone, who had held the top spot since February 2020.
However, Sadia’s reign at the top was short-lived. Ecclestone slipped to second place with 750 points after a wicketless performance against Bangladesh but quickly regained her position by taking two wickets for 15 runs against South Africa, earning the Player of the Match award. Sadia’s time as the world’s top-ranked bowler lasted just two days.
Sadia Iqbal becomes only the second Pakistani woman to top the ICC rankings. Former captain Sana Mir previously held the number-one spot in the ODI bowling rankings between 2018 and 2019.
Meanwhile, there were other notable movements in the rankings following England’s match against South Africa. South Africa’s openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits both attained career-best rankings. Wolvaardt moved up to third position with scores of 52 not out against the West Indies and 42 against England, while Brits climbed to sixth with scores of 57 not out against the West Indies and 13 against England.
Sadia’s brief but historic achievement is a proud moment for Pakistan cricket and highlights the growing prominence of the country’s female cricketers on the global stage.
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