Smith scored 165 not out in the second Test to guide his nation to what seemed an unlikely win by an innings and 18 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The sparkling knock from the 27-year-old helped Australia post a formidable 624-8 declared on the fifth day as the rain-affected contest looked to be heading for a draw.

But a ruthless bowling performance from the likes of Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon saw Australia skittle Pakistan out for 163 to wrap up a 2-0 series victory.

Smith’s ranking points total of 937 ensured he finished 2016 where he started - as the number one batsman in Test match cricket - and is the 10^th highest ever recorded.

It is also the most held by any player since former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara’s 938 points in December 2007.

The Australian captain has had another formidable campaign, passing the 1,000 run mark for the third consecutive year and will head into 2017 keen to retain his number one spot.

Pakistan’s Azhar Ali is the biggest mover on the final ranking list for 2016 as he sits in sixth position, the highest he has ever managed in his career.

His jump in the standings came thanks to scores of 205 not out and 43 in the second Test against Australia at the iconic MCG.

Ali, who became the first Pakistan batsman to hit a double hundred on Australian soil, began 2016 in 20th place.

Smith’s team-mates David Warner and Usman Khawaja have also enjoyed steady rises up the rankings.

Warner, who scored an impressive 144 in the Pakistan clash, has moved up two places to fifth, while Khawaja is up five spots to 13th – his best-ever position on the list.