ICC ODI Rankings - Watson back among top 10 ODI batsmen

Shane Watson and Clint McKay have made major gains in the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings following Australia’s 5-0 series win over West Indies on Sunday.

In the latest player rankings that were released on Monday, Watson has jumped six places to eighth in the batting table, while McKay has broken into the top 10 of the bowlers’ list for the first time ever by moving up seven places to seventh.

Watson ended as the leading run-getter of the series with 198 runs from three games at an average of 66.

The other batsmen to improve their rankings include George Bailey in 21^st (up by 27), Kieron Pollard in 29^th (up by four), Phil Hughes in 42^nd (up by 31 places), Andre Russell in 45^th (up by two), Brad Haddin in 65^th (up by three), Glenn Maxwell in 86^th (up by 27) and Johnson Charles in 93^rd (up by 43).

Ramnaresh Sarwan in 60^th, Shaun Marsh in 70^th and Adam Voges in 85^th have re-entered the batting table.

The batting chart continues to be headed by South Africa’s Hashim Amla, followed by his captain AB de Villiers and India’s Virat Kohli in third place.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, West Indies’ Sunil Narine has moved up a place to third to reclaim his career-best placing thus far. Narine has also achieved a personal best-ever 740 ratings points in this series against Australia.

McKay’s nine wickets from five games at an average of 21.88 helped him break into the top 10 in seventh spot, while his teammate Mitchell Johnson has jumped five places to 14^th.

Also, making an upward movement in the latest bowling rankings is Darren Sammy in 29^th (up by four).

Player of the series and the highest wicket-taker on either side with 11 wickets at an average of 9.27, Mitchell Starc, has jumped 30 places to 38^th.

The bowlers’ table is still headed by Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, with Mohammad Hafeez in second place.

There is no change in the top 10 of the all-rounders’ list. Hafeez continues to head this table with Shakib Al Hasan and Shane Watson in second and third places respectively.

Australia gains three ratings points

Meanwhile, Australia’s 5-0 series win over West Indies has helped it gain three ratings points in the latest Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table.

Australia continues to be in third place, but now has 116 ratings points thereby reducing the gap with the number-one ranked India and second-placed England to just three ratings points.

The top half of the ODI table is so closely bunched that just 12 ratings points separates India from sixth-placed Pakistan.

For West Indies, the series loss sees it drop four ratings points to 84 even as it continued to retain seventh place.

The series against West Indies was the last ODI series for Australia before the final edition of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, which will be staged from 6 to 23 June in England and Wales.

The tournament opener at the ICC Champions Trophy will feature two former winners when South Africa takes on 2002 champion India in Cardiff on 6 June. The following day, the West Indies will face Pakistan at The Oval.

Group A includes defending champion Australia, 2000 winner New Zealand and 2002 champion Sri Lanka, along with host England, which reached the final when it last staged the event in 2004.

Sides in Group B of the ICC Champions Trophy are 1998 winner South Africa, 2004 champion West Indies, 2002 winner India, and Pakistan.

The semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy will be staged at The Oval (19 June) and in Cardiff (20 June), while Edgbaston will be the venue of the final, to be played on 23 June.

Reliance ICC ODI Championship (as on 11 February) (after Australia-West Indies ODI series)

Rank/Team/Rating

1 – India – 119

2 – England – 119

3 – Australia – 116

4 – South Africa – 112

5 – Sri Lanka – 110

6 – Pakistan – 107

7 – West Indies – 84

8 – New Zealand – 79

9 – Bangladesh – 78

10 – Zimbabwe – 50

11 – Ireland – 35

12 – Netherlands – 16

13 – Kenya – 11