Warner achieves career-best third spot in ODI rankings

Dubai [UAE], Oct.13 (ANI): Australian opener David Warner has surged to a career-best third position in the ICC ODI Players Rankings for batsmen after accumulating 386 runs at an impeccable average of 77.20 in the recently concluded five-match series against South Africa. Warner has gained nine positions and moved into the top 10 for the first time while Australia have lost vital points in the ODI team rankings following a 5-0 whitewash at the hands of South Africa. Meanwhile, some fine performances by the South Africa players have helped their team leapfrog New Zealand and India to within two points of world champion Australia's tally of 118 points. South Africa had started the series tied at 110 points and gained six points, while Australia plunged from 124 to 118 points. South Africa left-handers Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw have also made significant gains in the latest rankings update, which takes into account 16 ODIs from September 25 to October 12 and includes Bangladesh's home series against Afghanistan and England, and the Pakistan-West Indies series in the United Arab Emirates. It also features Ireland's one-off matches against Australia and South Africa. De Kock, who scored 300 runs in the series including an innings of 178 off 113 balls in the opening ODI in Centurion for what was the second-highest individual score for South Africa, has moved up five places to fourth rank. Rossouw's 311 runs in the series saw him move up 30 slots to a career-best 32nd rank. Pakistan's Babar Azam climbed up the table to a career-best 15th position with his three consecutive centuries that helped notch a 3-0 win over the West Indies. Babar's knocks of 120, 123 and 117 saw him make a huge jump of 57 positions as he moved into the top-20 for the first time. Other batsmen to move up the rankings included Australia's Mitchell Marsh who has moved up four positions to take 26th position, South Africa's David Miller who has gained three slots to reach 35th rank, and England's Ben Stokes who has risen 11 slots to 52nd rank. In the ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, New Zealand's Trent Boult move up to take the top position after West Indies spinner Sunil Narine finished with only three wickets in the series against Pakistan in the UAE. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who became Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker along with Shakib Al Hasan at 215 wickets, moved to a career-best ninth rank after 12 wickets in the six matches against Afghanistan and England. Afghanistan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi moved into the top 10 as he gained 12 points after taking six wickets in the Bangladesh series, conceding just 97 runs in 30 overs. South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir and England's Adil Rashid climbed up to the top 10. Tahir gained two spots to reach third position while Rashid's 10 wickets in Bangladesh helped him gain three slots to reach a career-best seventh position. As far as ODI Team Rankings is concerned, India will have an opportunity to gain one place and move into third position. India (110 points) presently trails New Zealand (113 points) by three points but will need to win the series by 4-1 or better to claim the third position.(ANI)