David Warner has claimed top spot in ODI rankings for the first time. (File photo)
Australia opener David Warner has unsettled the previous No. 1 and No. 2 rank holders AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen with his breathtaking display in the recently concluded five-match ODI series against Pakistan. In the series the left hander scored 367 runs with Australia winning the series 4-1.
In the five matches, Warner scored 7, 16, 35 and followed these average performances with back-to-back hundreds – 130 and 179 in Sydney and Adelaide. The 179-run knock saw him score the century in 78 balls to become his fastest ODI ton. With the two centuries, Warner has amassed six centuries in the last 11 ODIs.
“It is a huge year for one-day cricket with the ICC Champions Trophy later this year and I am hoping I can take my good form into that tournament and help Australia lift the trophy for the third time,” said Warner according to the ICC media release. He now stands 19 points ahead of second-placed de Villiers and 28 points ahead of Kohli in the ODI rankings list with a tally of 880 points.
“It is always a great honour and very nice to receive these accolades but from my perspective my job is to put our team into winning positions and I have been fortunate that I have been able to do that lately,” he said.
Other movers into the top-10 are Steve Smith who has jumped two places into eighth and Babar Azam into 10th place – jumping five places – with 282 runs in the series including a century in Adelaide.
As a result of India’s 2-1 series win over England, Jason Roy has climbed to 17th place with three half-centuries. Meanwhile Kedar Jadhav’s heroic effort that saw him score 232 runs in the series has helped him gain 57 slots to reach 47th in the charts.
In the bowling rankings, Mitchell Starc has climbed two places to second while Josh Hazlewood has risen to fifth from 10th. Three Indian spinners find their name in the top-20 bowling charts with Axar Patel 12th, Amit Mishra 14th and R Ashwin tied 19th.
In the team rankings, India are third – climbing one place – to 112 points. Australia continue to lead the charts with 120 points and South Africa are second with 116 points.
Pakistan continue to be in danger of failing to qualify for the 2019 World Cup as they sit eighth in the ICC Team Rankings. They have 89 points – two lesser than Bangladesh and two more than West Indies. Host England and the seven highest-ranked sides in the rankings on September 30, 2017 will qualify directly.
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