South Africa has reclaimed the number-one ranking on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings following the conclusion of its series against New Zealand in New Zealand.
South Africa had entered the three-match ODI series trailing Australia by one ratings point. It moved to the top of the table following its 72 runs victory in the second ODI in Mount Maunganui on Friday, 24 October. And though the third and final ODI of the series in Hamilton on Monday was washed-out, the results in Mount Maunganui were enough to ensure the Proteas finish the series on top of the tree.
This is the first time in five years that South Africa has surged to the top of the ODI team table. It last enjoyed the number-one position in September 2009, before losing the status to Australia following its first round elimination from the ICC Champions Trophy 2009.
Meanwhile, in the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings, South Africa batsmen AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla occupy the top two positions in the batting table following their sides’ 2-0 series victory in New Zealand.
AB de Villiers has retained the top spot in the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen but his team-mate Amla, with scores of 38 and 119, has closed the gap to 28 ratings points as preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 gather pace.
However, India’s Virat Kohli, who has slipped to third following Amla’s movement, will have a chance to move up the order when he takes to the field against Sri Lanka in the series, which starts on 2 November. Only two ratings points separate the second and third ranked batsmen.
New Zealand’s top-ranked batsman is Ross Taylor who has remained in 10th place in the current rankings. Skipper Brendon McCullum (26th) has dropped one place on the leaderboard, but the biggest mover is 33-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman, Luke Ronchi, who has risen 52 places to 62nd in the batting rankings after scores of 99 and 79, respectively.
On the Reliance ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, South African paceman Dale Steyn has retained his third place after figures of one wicket for 28 runs and two for 35 runs, respectively.
Ryan McLaren has dropped three places to 12th position, though Morne Morkel has moved up two places to 15th after a series which saw him claim three wickets. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir’s consistent performances have seen him climb four places to a career-high 22nd place. Another significant riser is Vernon Philander who rises 15 places to 78th position.
New Zealand’s top ranked bowler, Kyle Mills, drops four places to 17th in the latest rankings.
Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings (as on 28 October, after New Zealand-South Africa series)
1. South Africa 115
2. Australia 114
3. India 113
4. Sri Lanka 111
5. England 107
6. Pakistan 98
7. New Zealand 96
8. West Indies 96
9. Bangladesh 69
10. Zimbabwe 58
11. Afghanistan 42
12. Ireland 33
Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings (as on 28 October, after New Zealand-South Africa series):
Batsmen
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating
1 ( – ) AB de Villiers SA 883 51.02 885 v SL at Hambantota 2014
2 (+1) Hashim Amla SA 855 54.43 901 v Eng at Trent Bridge 2012
3 (-1) Virat Kohli Ind 853 51.57 886 v Ban at Fatullah 2014
4 ( – ) George Bailey Aus 802 46.61 867 v SA at Harare 2014
5 ( – ) K. Sangakkara SL 800 40.13 853 v Afg at Mirpur 2014
6 ( – ) MS Dhoni Ind 757 52.85 836 v Aus at Delhi 2009
7= ( – ) T. Dilshan SL 739 37.99 767 v Pak at Sharjah 2013
(+2) Quinton de Kock SA 739* 45.00 747 v Zim at Harare 2014
9 (-1) Shikhar Dhawan Ind 722 41.97 747 v WI at Kochi 2014
10 ( – ) Ross Taylor NZ 702 40.07 713 v Ind at Wellington 2014
Selected Rankings
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating
11 ( – ) F. du Plessis SA 699 35.90 703 v NZ at Bay Oval 2014
12 ( – ) Kane Williamson NZ 678 39.51 688 v Ind at Wellington 2014
24 (-4) Martin Guptill NZ 614 38.33 684 v Zim at Napier 2012
25 (+2) JP Duminy SA 612 39.24 668 v Net at Mohali 2011
26 (-1) B. McCullum NZ 606 30.08 685 v Eng at Auckland 2013
48 (-2) David Miller SA 531 29.68 568 v Aus at Harare 2014
53 (-16) Corey Anderson NZ 525* 42.50 604 v Ind at Hamilton 2014
62 (+52) Luke Ronchi Aus/NZ 506*! 30.41 506 v SA at Hamilton 2014
Bowlers
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Econ HS Rating
1 ( – ) Saeed Ajmal Pak 770 22.18 4.13 810 v SA at Centurion 2013
2 ( – ) Sunil Narine WI 753 26.49 4.10 791 v SL at Jamaica 2013
3 ( – ) Dale Steyn SA 715 25.52 4.80 746 v Ind at Durban 2013
4 ( – ) James Anderson Eng 690 29.10 4.94 719 v SA at The Oval 2013
5 ( – ) M. Johnson Aus 680 25.68 4.82 724 v Ban at Darwin 2008
6 ( – ) Ravindra Jadeja Ind 660 32.06 4.77 738 v Zim at Bulawayo 2013
7 ( – ) B. Kumar Ind 657! 36.59 4.60 657 v WI at Dharamsala 2014
8 ( – ) M. Hafeez Pak 647 35.01 4.06 769 v Ind at Kolkata 2013
9= (+1) Steven Finn Eng 640 28.41 4.74 755 v NZ at Auckland 2013
(+1) Clint McKay Aus 640 24.37 4.78 709 v Eng at Cardiff 2013
Selected Rankings
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Econ HS Rating
12 (-3) Ryan McLaren SA 630 25.46 5.16 681 v Zim at Bulawayo 2014
14 (-2) L. Tsotsobe SA 628 24.96 4.75 743 v NZ at Auckland 2012
15 (+2) Morne Morkel SA 625 24.35 4.88 717 v SL at East London 2012
17 (-4) Kyle Mills NZ 620 26.82 4.73 722 v Aus at Melbourne 2009
22 (+4) Imran Tahir SA 607* 18.78 4.22 610 v NZ at Bay Oval 2014
31 ( – ) M. McClenaghan NZ 564* 23.48 5.77 578 v Ind at Napier 2014
32 (-3) N. McCullum NZ 561 49.27 4.80 571 v Ind at Wellington 2014
42 (-1) Wayne Parnell SA 528 29.92 5.49 534 v Zim at Bulawayo 2014
64 (+2) JP Duminy SA 435 40.28 5.02 442 v Zim at Bulawayo 2014
78 (+15) Vernon Philander SA 407*! 24.19 4.39 407 v NZ at Hamilton 2014
All-rounders
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating
1 ( – ) Mohammad Hafeez Pak 411 438 v Ind at Kolkata 2013
2 ( – ) Angelo Mathews SL 387! 387 v Pak at Dambulla 2014
3 ( – ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 361 453 v Zim at Chittagong 2009
*indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after a minimum of 40 started innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating after he has conceded 1,500 runs.
!indicates career-highest rating
