Rashid, Shahzad maintain positions in top 10 post Afghanistan's triumph

Dubai [UAE], Jan.22 (ANI): Afghanistan's title-triumph at the Desert T20 Challenge in the United Arab Emirates is reflected in the latest ICC Player Rankings, with the country's leading players maintaining their positions. However, there was also a lot to cheer for others in the eight-team competition featuring Associate teams. Leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who grabbed nine wickets in the tournament, has maintained his fifth position in the ICC Player Rankings for T20I Bowlers, which is the best ever by a bowler from an Associate team. Rashid, who first came into prominence in the ICC World Twenty20 2016 when he took 11 wickets in seven matches and went up to fifth position during a series against the UAE in December, has an enviable career economy of 6.14 runs. His economy rate is the fourth-best among bowlers to have taken more than 30 wickets in T20 Internationals. West Indies spinners Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine, and retired New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori are the only ones with better economy rates. Afghanistan opener Mohammad Shahzad, who is the only Associate player to break into the top 10 of the ICC Players Rankings for T20I Batsmen currently led by Indian skipper Virat Kohli, has maintained the ninth position he has held on to since August last year. The attacking batsman scored 207 runs in five matches during the Desert T20, including an unbeaten 52 in the final against Ireland. Shaiman Anwar of the UAE is among those to move up among batsmen, with his 110 runs in three matches seeing him gain seven slots to reach 23rd spot. Ireland's Paul Stirling's 152 runs in the tournament has seen him gain 15 slots to reach 34th slot while Kyle Coetzer of Scotland has gained four spots to reach a career-best 36th position with 100 runs in the tournament. Hong Kong captain Babar Hayat (up 11 places to 49th), Zeeshan Maqsood of Oman (up 15 places to 63) and Calum MacLeod of Scotland (up 22 places to 88th position) have made upward movement in the rankings for batsmen. The list of bowlers saw the Afghanistan pair of Hamza Kotak (up three places to 13th) and Mohammad Nabi (up one place to 14th) make their way up while Mark Watt of Scotland (up 37 places to 38th) and Ahmed Raza of the UAE (up 12 places to 39) are among the others to have made significant gains. Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi has retained his fourth position in the list of all-rounders led by Glenn Maxwell of Australia. (ANI)