KARACHI, Dec 28: Pakistan had a miserable finish to the year 2006 as nearly all the national players suffered big slumps in the new year men’s world squash rankings, announced by the Professional Squash Association on Thursday.

According to the details of the rankings made available here, Pakistan’s leading player Mansoor Zaman who reached the 24th spot last month, fell seven places down to 31st in the latest rankings for January 2007.

Peshawar-born Aamir Atlas Khan brought the only good news for the former squash power-hub as the 16-year-old boy leaped three places further to reach his best ranking of 35.

Aamir, who had a commendable 2006, overcame his experienced compatriot and former national champion Shahid Zaman to finish the year on the second spot in national rankings.

Shahid, who lost ten places down in the new year rankings to reach the 35th spot, completed Pakistan's trio inside top 50.

Shams-ul-Islam (77 from 70), Majid Khan (82 from 72), Khayal Mohammad (84 from 73), Farhan Mahboob (92 from 82) and Arshad Iqbal (99 from 88) were the other local players who descended in the new rankings.

Meanwhile, after reaching his third successive PSA Tour final in this month's Saudi International, Gregory Gaultier has risen to a career-high world No.3 in the new rankings ahead of compatriot Thierry Lincou to become the highest-ranked Frenchman for the first time.

Egypt's Amr Shabana caps his best year on the PSA Tour by heading the new year list, moving into his tenth consecutive month as the world's No.1 squash player.

The 27-year-old from Cairo beat Gaultier in the final of the Super Series Platinum event in Saudi Arabia to clinch his fifth PSA crown of 2006, an achievement which led to his receiving the PSA Male Player of the Year award at the World Squash Awards in London recently.

Australia’s World Open champion David Palmer is at No.2 for the 11th successive month, while England's British Open champion Nick Matthew retains his fifth position behind Gaultier and Lincou.

Ramy Ashour consolidates his status as the most improved player of the year by reaching a best-ever No.6 position.

The only teenager in the top 30, Ashour began the year at 38 in the Dunlop PSA list since when he has become the first player ever to win the World Junior Championship title for a second time, and on the PSA Tour made it to three finals.

Ashour's success was recognised at the World Squash Awards when he received the PSA Young Male Player of the Year Award.

Experienced Mohammad Abbas is another Egyptian celebrating a career-best ranking in the new list. The 26-year-old from Cairo has risen four places to 13 after crowning a highly successful year (which began outside the top 20) by making it to the Saudi quarter-finals as the 15th seed.

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