Steven Smith replaces Kumar Sangakkara at No.1 in ICC Test rankings for batsmen
Steven Smith has usurped Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara as the No.1 batsman in the world in the latest ICC Test rankings following Australia’s resounding 2-0 victory over the West Indies in the Caribbean. With scores of 199 and 54* in the second Test at Jamaica, Smith rightly earned the Man of the Match award and is quickly establishing himself as one of the best batsmen in the world across all formats.
The first innings hundred was his fifth in the last six Test matches and having turned 26 just last week, he is well on his way to breaking a lot of batting records in Australian cricket.
Smith’s rise as a batsman over the last 12 months is remarkable especially considering the fact that his Test debut for Australia, against Pakistan in 2010, came as a leg-spinner who batted at No.8 in the order.
Talking about Smith’s exploits in recent times, skipper Michael Clarke said: "He's in some unbelievable form and long may that continue."
Following Smith in the rankings are Sangakkara and AB de Villiers, who are just four and five points behind the Australian respectively.
Meanwhile, Indian Test captain Virat Kohli has dropped out of the top 10 after managing a score of just 14 in the only innings that he got to bat in the one-off Test against Bangladesh.
Latest ICC Test Rankings for Batsmen
| Rank | Player | Country | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Smith | AUS | 913 |
| 2 | Kumar Sangakkara | SL | 909 |
| 3 | AB de Villiers | SA | 908 |
| 4 | Hashim Amla | SA | 891 |
| 5 | Angelo Mathews | SL | 841 |
| 6 | Younus Khan | PAK | 836 |
| 7 | Joe Root | ENG | 815 |
| 8 | Kane Williamson | NZ | 813 |
| 9 | Misbah-ul-Haq | PAK | 770 |
| 10 | David Warner | AUS | 757 |