ICC ODI Rankings: Saeed Ajmal continues to be at the summit despite suspension
In the ICC Players Rankings for ODI bowlers, England’s James Anderson has moved up two places to fourth spot after taking seven wickets in the Carlton Mid ODI tri-series, at an average of just under 20.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who was the top wicket-taker in the series (12 wickets for 196 in five matches) has moved up five places to seventh, while England’s top wicket-taker, Steven Finn (11 wickets for 235 in five matches), has progressed 14 places to 12th. Moeen Ali has also progressed his rankings by 41 places to 56th after taking seven wickets for 200 in the series.
Saeed Ajmal continues to top the rankings, despite being banned from bowling since September last year after his bowling action was found to be illegal. With Sunil Narine also ruling himself out of the World Cup for similar reasons, the top two bowlers in the world in ODI cricket will not be starring at cricket’s biggest gala.
Other recent significant movers include West Indies bowler Jason Holder (up 18 places to a career-high 41st) and New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult (up 56 places to a career-high 61st).
Meanwhile, in the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan has regained the number one ranking after moving up two places, 10 points clear of Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews in second place.
Here are the top 10 ranked ODI bowlers in the world:
| Rank | Bowler | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saeed Ajmal | Pakistan | 748 |
| 2 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | 734 |
| 3 | Dale Steyn | South Africa | 724 |
| 4 | James Anderson | England | 706 |
| 5 | Mitchell Johnson | Australia | 683 |
| 6 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 680 |
| 7 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 636 |
| 8 | Mohammad Hafeez | Pakistan | 631 |
| 9 | Rangana Herath | Sri Lanka | 629 |
| 10 | Morne Morkel | South Africa | 628 |