ISLAMABAD: There is no Pakistani among the top ten batsmen in the latestTest players ranking issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC) onMonday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has reached a career-best 915 ratingpoints after an unbeaten double-century in the first Test againstBangladesh in Hamilton, which was the centerpiece of a victory by aninnings and 52 runs.
Williamson’s 200 not out, which earned him the player of the match award,has lifted him from 897 points to within seven points of India captainVirat Kohli, who is perched at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Test PlayerRankings with 922 points.
With two more Tests to go in the series, Williamson has a chance to regainthe top spot, which he occupied briefly towards the end of 2015.
Williamson’s rating points are the highest by any New Zealander in Testcricket with Richard Hadlee the only other player from his country to crossthe 900-point mark with a best of 909 points in bowling.
Openers Tom Latham and Jeet Raval have also made good progress after theircenturies in Hamilton. Latham’s score of 161 has lifted him one place to acareer-best 11th position and just three points shy of South Africa’s Fafdu Plessis, who is in 10thplace with 702 points.
Raval’s maiden century, after seven fifties, has helped him gain five slotsand reach 33rd position.
Among their bowlers, the pair of Trent Boult (down two places to eighth)and Tim Southee (ninth) remain in the top 10 while Neil Wagner is alsomoving in the right direction, gaining three places and reaching 11thposition after finishing with seven wickets in the match, including afive-wicket haul in the first innings.
Read Top Stories
For Bangladesh, left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal has gained 11 slots to reach25th position after scores of 126 and 74, overtaking Shakib Al Hasan tobecome the top-ranked batsman from his country in this format.
Mahmudullah has moved up 12 places to reach a career-best 40th afterscoring 22 and 146 while Soumya Sarkar’s one and 149 in Hamilton havelifted him 25 places to 67th position.
Mahmudullah has also gained three places to reach 63rd position amongbowlers.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas is at number seven in bowlers’ rankings with 770points along with West Indies’ Jason Holder, who also has 770 points.
Australia’s Pat Cummins is at the top with 878 points followed by England’sJ. Anderson, who has 862 points. South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada is at numberthree with 851 points.
Among allrounders Jason Holder is at the top with 439 points, followed byBangladesh’s S. Al Hasan, who is at number two with 407 points. India’s R.Jadeja is at number three with 387 points. There is no allrounder fromPakistan among the top five.
