ICC ODI Bowlers Rankings: Australian pacer Mitchell Starc becomes World No.1

Mitchell Starc of Australia poses with the trophy during celebrations after winning the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup Final at Federation Square on March 30, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc has surged to the top of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers for the first time in his career following stellar performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 that also fetched him the player of the tournament award.

The 25-year-old left-arm fast bowler finished ICC’s pinnacle 50-over tournament as joint-leading wicket-taker with New Zealand’s Trent Boult with 22 wickets, including two for 20 in eight overs in the final against New Zealand. This performance has helped Starc to rise two places and claim the number-one position for the first time.

Starc had entered the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in seventh position and during the course of the tournament, he gained 147 ratings points. He currently sits on 783 rating points, which is also his career-best rating and was achieved during the final played in front of over 93,000 spectators.

Boult has also made gains in the latest rankings following his excellent run in the tournament. The left-arm fast bowler has vaulted nine places to jump to career-high sixth position – a place he shares with Australia’s Mitchell Johnson, who has also moved up by two places.

South Africa’s wrist spinner Imran Tahir has also finished the series in a career-best second position. Tahir had started in 11thposition and has leapfrogged nine places, thanks to his 15 wickets in eight matches.

Australia’s James Faulkner, who was adjudged the player of the final, has also made an upward movement along with India’s Umesh Yadav.

Yadav has broken into the top 20 for the first time in his career following his 15 wickets in the series, including four for 72 in the semi-final against Australia. Yadav has rocketed 16 places to join England’s James Tredwell in 18th position.

Faulkner’s 10 wickets in the series has put him climb 12 positions to a career-high 23rd position with a career-high 585 ratings points, which he gained in the final against New Zealand.

Rank	Player	Country	Rating Points
1	Mitchell Starc	Australia	783*
2	Imran Tahir	South Africa	734
3	Saeed Ajmal	Pakistan	718
4	Dale Steyn	South Africa	717
5	Sunil Narine	West Indies	709
6	Mitchell Johnson	Australia	693
7	Trent Boult	New Zealand	693*
8	James Anderson	England	670
9	Morne Morkel	South Africa	666
10	Shakib Al Hasan	Bangladesh	659

*indicates career-highest rating