Despite the heartbreak of missing out on qualification for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews and spinners Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack have found personal consolation in significant moves up the ICC ODI rankings.
Matthews, who capped off the qualifiers in Lahore with a blistering 70 off just 29 balls in a dominant win over Thailand, surged two places to reclaim a spot in the top five of the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings. Now ranked fifth, she sits just one place below her career-best fourth, a position she held at the start of the tournament.
Her commanding Player-of-the-Match performance helped the Caribbean side to a six-wicket win with a staggering 235 balls to spare. However, it was not enough to propel the team into the main event, as West Indies finished behind Bangladesh on net run rate. They fell short by a mere 0.013.
Joining Matthews in climbing the global charts were spinners Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack, who both impressed with the ball throughout the campaign. Fletcher, with figures of four for 20 against Thailand and two for 43 against Bangladesh, equaled her career-best 21st position in the bowling rankings. Ramharack, who also had impactful spells, climbed five spots to sit at 25th.
Elsewhere in the latest weekly update, Ireland’s Gaby Lewis broke back into the top 20 ODI batters. Solid knocks of 75 against Thailand and 61 against Scotland saw her rise five places to 17th. She was joined by teammates Amy Hunter (up to 27th), Orla Prendergast (31st), Laura Delany (40th), and Leah Paul (42nd), who also made strides.
From Pakistan, Sidra Amin jumped from 23rd to 18th following an 80-run knock against Thailand and 33 against Bangladesh. Teammate Muneeba Ali reached a personal milestone with a career-best 30th ranking. Bangladesh’s Sharmin Akhter also hit a new high, moving up to 21st.
The bowling rankings saw notable leaps for Bangladesh’s Nahida Akter, who climbed to 10th after a four-wicket haul against Scotland, and Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal, who moved up five places to 17th. West Indies’ Fletcher was closely followed by Bangladesh’s Rabeya Khan, now 22nd, while Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and Diana Baig, along with Ireland’s Prendergast, also rose in the standings.
In the all-rounders’ category, Orla Prendergast continued her upward trajectory, moving into 11th, while Pakistan captain Fatima Sana advanced to a joint-15th position. Sportsmax
