After the first few games of the Tri-series between Zimbabwe, South Africa, and New Zealand, and the two bilateral series of West Indies vs Australia and Bangladesh vs Pakistan. The Test captain of the Caribbean side, Roston Chase, has got a promotion in the ICC Men’s all-rounder rankings with his cracking knock of 60 runs in 32 balls in the series opener to achieve his career-best position.

Chase jumps seven spots to claim second place and now trails only Hardik Pandya. Cameron Green has also risen eight places to the occasion after his match-winning half-century in the first game against the West Indies. In bowling, left-arm Bangladesh pacer, Mustafizur Rahman, made a notable leap to break into the top 10.

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He now stands on the joint-ninth rank with Arshdeep Singh with 653 points after his stellar show of three wickets at an average of seven against Pakistan in the home T20I series. His team-mate, Mehedi Hasan, has gone up nine places to 16th as he contributed with three wickets in the ongoing series against Pakistan, thanks to 2/25.

Roston Chase earns second place in ICC Men’s T20I all-rounder rankings

New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has climbed up 13 places to 29th in the bowler rankings with six wickets in two games in the Zimbabwe tri-series. In the batting department, the West Indies captain of the format, Shai Hope, obtained 670 rating points to be placed in the tenth position as he smashed 55 runs in 39 balls during the first Jamaica clash.

Mitchell Marsh, Hope’s opposite number, has jumped three spots to be placed at the 23rd position with 592 points. The all-rounder will hope for better performance individually. However, as a team, they have already earned a 2-0 series lead in the five-match series in the Caribbean as the action moves to Warner Park for the last three games post Andre Russell’s retirement.

Bangladesh has already won the series by taking an undefeated lead of 2-0 against Pakistan as the third game will take place on July 24. On the other hand, New Zealand and South Africa will face each other in the final, given that the home side, Zimbabwe, has faced three defeats in as many games in the tri-series so far.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is treading on thin ice while considering the risk of their upcoming white-ball tour of Pakistan, which commences on May 21, 2025. The tour includes five T20 matches in Faisalabad and Lahore under a cloud, given rising tensions between India and Pakistan that have already led to cancellations of the IPL and PSL. With the world of cricket on tenterhooks, the BCB is in continuous discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to gauge the situation, leaving fans such as myself pondering if the tour is set to go through.

Safety of players is at the forefront of the BCB's minds, and they're not leaving anything to chance. In a recent statement, the board made it clear: “Every decision about this tour will be made after fully assessing the situation in Pakistan. We will do what is best for our team and for Bangladesh cricket.” The geopolitical instability, accentuated by India's Operation Sindoor and a recent drone attack close to Rawalpindi, has placed global cricket in the region on unstable footing, and the BCB is not inclined to jeopardize their team's health in an unstable environment.

Before heading to Pakistan, Bangladesh is gearing up for a brief stop in the UAE, where they’ll face the United Arab Emirates in two T20Is on May 17 and 19 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. This series is a crucial part of their preparation for the Pakistan tour—if it happens. With an international-packed calendar on their schedule, culminating in the impending 2026 T20 World Cup, the BCB has its priority in getting players match-fit, prioritizing safety second.

PSL Fallout and Bangladesh's Next Steps

The suspension of PSL 2025 has already impacted Bangladesh players, with Rishad Hossain of Lahore Qalandars and Nishad Rana of Peshawar Zalmi returning to Dhaka after the league was halted on May 9. Both players, who are both key components of the Bangladesh T20 setup, are going to arrive with the national team for their tour of UAE on Wednesday and will now shift their attention to international affairs.

BCB involved in "active discussions" with PCB on upcoming Pakistan tour#BCB #PCBhttps://t.co/RO7wzwE4s1

— CricketNDTV (@CricketNDTV) May 11, 2025

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The BCB is obviously prioritizing the safety of their players and getting them set for their series in the UAE and possible tour of Pakistan. With tensions boiling over, the cricketing fraternity waits to see if Bangladesh will turn out in Pakistan—or if this tour is another victim of geopolitical tensions.