Mohammed Siraj and Josh Hazlewood tied at the top of ICC Men's ODI bowling rankings ahead of World Cup
The pace bowling duo of Mohammed Siraj and Josh Hazlewood are tied at the top of the ICC Men's ODI bowling rankings ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India with 669 points each.
Siraj was the undisputed No. 1-ranked ODI bowler in the world following his exceptional six-wicket haul in the 2023 Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. He had also occupied the spot at the top during Team India's home season earlier this year.
As per the last update, Siraj held the top spot with a rating of 694, while Hazlewood occupied the second rank with 678 points. The two pacers were up against each other during the three-match ODI series between India and Australia last month.
Hazlewood took three wickets in two matches in the series that Australia lost by a 2-1 margin. On the other hand, Siraj lost points after ending with figures of 1-68 in the solitary match he played in the series, which was the dead rubber that India ended up losing in Rajkot.
The two pacers will once again lock horns as Team India are scheduled to face Australia to kickstart their 2023 World Cup campaign at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8.
As far as the remainder of the rankings are concerned in the bowling department, the Afghanistan spin duo of Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan occupy the next two spots in the charts. The pair will have a massive say in the Aghan's fortunes in the World Cup on subcontinent conditions.
Left-arm pacers Shaheen Afridi and Mitchell Starc, who are among the most threatening bowlers on show in the World Cup, also occupy places in the top 10. While the Pakistani climbed up two places to hold the sixth spot, the Aussie is ranked eighth on the list.
Babar Azam and Shubman Gill only separated by 18 points ahead of the ODI World Cup
Shubman Gill, the leading run scorer in the format in 2023, is on a rampant rise and has an eye on the No. 1 spot currently held by Babar Azam. The Indian opener was rested for the third and final ODI against Australia and will now be seen at the World Cup.
Babar, meanwhile, scored a fluent fifty in Pakistan's warm-up clash against Australia and retains his No. 1 rank with 857 ranking points to his name.
On the back of his sublime form, which includes three fifties in a row, Australian opener David Warner also jumps up one spot to break into the top five batters in the charts.
Who will be the number one ranked batter and bowler by the time the ODI World Cup 2023 comes to a close? Let us know what you think.