Broad breaks into world’s top five ODI bowlers
By ANITuesday, July 13, 2010
DUBAI - England pacer Stuart Broad has returned to the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers following the three-match series against Bangladesh, which concluded in Birmingham on Monday.
The 24-year-old has gained three places after taking four wickets in the series and now sits in joint-fifth position, level with Kyle Mills of New Zealand and Australia’s Doug Bollinger.
Broad’s team-mate James Anderson, who was left out of the team for the final ODI, has slipped three places to 16th position as a player loses one per cent of his rating for every match he misses. The bowling rankings are still headed by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori followed in second place by Bangladesh left-arm slow bowler Shakib Al Hasan, who did enough in the series in England to maintain second place.
Shakib will have an immediate opportunity to put more pressure on Vettori at the top as he embarks on a two-ODI series in Ireland and single matches against Scotland and the Netherlands.
Outside the top 20, Mashrafe Mortaza marked his return to the top flight with an impressive performance in the series. In three ODIs he took five wickets at an average of 20.60 and an economy-rate less than four runs per over. That effort has earned him 13 places in latest rankings and he now occupies 26th position.
There are no significant changes in the top 20 of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen except that England middle-order batsman Eoin Morgan has dropped 10 places to 24th position following a disappointing series for the Middlesex left-hander.
On the other hand, Morgan’s captain Andrew Strauss scored 237 runs at an average of 79.00 in the three games and moves up 14 places to joint-25th spot, level with Australia’s Cameron White.
Warwickshire right-hander Jonathan Trott’s 204 runs at 102.00 in two innings earned him no fewer than 50 places and he now sits in 61st position in the rankings. The list is still topped by India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni with AB de Villiers of South Africa second and Australia’s Michael Hussey third.
There is no change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders with Shakib still top and Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi in second position. (ANI)
