Cricket’s most respected voice, Wisden, has revealed its much-anticipated list of the world’s Top 40 Young Cricketers, and Pakistan has plenty to cheer about — four rising stars have made the global cut!
This is the first time since 2019 that Wisden has published the rankings, spotlighting players under 23 who have already proven their worth and are tipped to dominate the future.
Pakistan’s Future Heroes
Leading the pack is Pakistan’s pace sensation Naseem Shah, who stormed in at number six overall — the highest-ranked Pakistani on the list. He is joined by:
- Saim Ayub (ranked 11) — fearless opener
- Hassan Nawaz (ranked 26) — power-hitter in the middle order
- Ali Raza (ranked 37) — crafty spin bowler
Global Competition
The top spot went to India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Australia, surprisingly, had no players in the top 10 despite being world champions. Afghanistan impressed with two names in the elite 10 — Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran.
Here’s Wisden’s Top 10 Young Cricketers:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)
- Jayden Seales (West Indies)
- Jacob Bethell (England)
- Will O’Rourke (New Zealand)
- Luan-dre Pretorius (South Africa)
- Naseem Shah (Pakistan)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan)
- Kwena Maphaka (South Africa)
- Sai Sudharsan (India)
- Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
The Bigger Picture
India and Australia topped the charts with six players each, England followed with five, while Pakistan and Afghanistan proudly claimed four each.
For Pakistan, this recognition is more than a ranking — it’s a statement that the future of world cricket has a strong green touch.
