BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 25: Steve Smith of Australia celebrates after reaching his century during day three of the First Test Match of the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at The Gabba on November 25, 2017 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has leapfrogged Steve Smith in the latest edition of the ICC Test player rankings, edging him closer to taking out the number one mantle across all three formats.

It has left Steve Smith out of the top three in the Test batter rankings after Babar effectively traded places with him by moving up from his previous spot of fourth.

Babar notched up scores of 119 and 55 in Pakistan's first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last week, earning him the required rating points (now 874 points) to jump into third.

Babar sits just 11 points behind Australian Marnus Labuschagne in second place (885 points), while former England captain Joe Root sits atop the pile with 923 points following his spectacular home summer so far against New Zealand and India.

Babar is currently ranked no.1 across both white-ball formats, and his rise up the Test rankings edges him closer to taking out the top position across all three formats.

"As a player it's a dream to become the no.1 in all formats and, for that, you have to focus and put in hard work," Babar told reporters last month.

"If you are to become no.1 in all three, you have to keep yourself fit and on track. There is back-to-back cricket and the gap is less. For that, you need to be extra fit."

Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja has moved up one spot in the Test batter rankings to no.7.

Australian captain Pat Cummins also kept his spot as the top-ranked bowler in Tests.

Men's Test batting rankings

Joe Root (England) – 923 points

Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) – 885

Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 874

Steve Smith (Australia) – 848

Rishabh Pant (India) – 801

Kane Williamson (New Zealand) – 786

Usman Khawaja (Australia) – 766

Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka) – 746

Rohit Sharma (India) – 746

Jonny Bairstow (England) – 742

Men's ODI batting rankings

Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 892

Imam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) – 815

Rassie van der Dussen (South Africa) – 789

Quinton de Kock (South Africa) – 784

Virat Kohli (India) – 774

Rohit Sharma (India) – 770

Ross Taylor (New Zealand) – 752

David Warner (Australia) – 737

Jonny Bairstow (England) – 732

Aaron Finch (Australia) – 715

Men's T20I batting rankings

Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 818

Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) – 794

Aiden Markram (South Africa) – 757

Dawid Malan (England) – 754

Suryakumar Yadav (India) – 732

Aaron Finch (Australia) – 716

Devon Conway (New Zealand) – 682

Nicholas Pooran (West Indies ) – 667

Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) – 661

Rassie van der Dussen (South Africa) – 658