Afghanistan player Mohammad Nabi has ended Shakib Al Hasan’s long tenure as the number one all-rounder in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after smashing a fine century in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.
Nabi, who has been the number one T20I all-rounder in the past, moved up to the top position in ODIs after his fighting 136 helped him become the oldest player to top the ICC ODI all-rounders’ table at the age of 39 years and one month. Sri Lanka’s Tillkaratne Dilshan held the previous record at 38 years and eight months when he was number one in June 2015.
Rashid Khan (ODI bowling, ODI all-rounder, T20I bowling) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (T20I bowling) are the other Afghanistan players to top the ICC rankings.
Shakib had been at the top for 1,739 days (since 7 May 2019), which is the longest unbroken stretch anyone has had at the top of the ODI Rankings. His total reign has been for a record 4,276 days, which equates to more than 11 ½ years. Kapil Dev comes next with 3,816 days which includes two stints of 1,376 and 1,375 days.
The first two ODIs of the series, both won by Sri Lanka, also saw some other notable performances from either side. Azmatullah Omarzai was another Afghanistan player to move up after his unbeaten 149 in the first ODI lifted him 19 places to 57th position while a host of Sri Lanka players prospered in the rankings.
Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka has advanced five places to a career-best 15th position after smashing an unbeaten 97 in the second ODI, Pathum Nissanka has progressed 10 places to 18th after upstaging Omarazai and Nabi in the first ODI while Sadeera Samarawickrama has moved up from 47th to 41st after useful knocks of 45 and 52.
Spinner Wanindu Hasaranga jumped 14 places to 26th after his haul of four for 27 while left-arm seam bowler Dilshan Madhushanka has gone from 37th to 33th.
Nepal players also had some notable improvements in rankings after they beat Canada 3-0 in a home series ahead of the first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 that commences on Thursday in Kirtipur with a Tri-series featuring Namibia, the Netherlands and hosts Nepal.
Captain Rohit Paudel has moved up three places to 77th after scoring 87 in the second match, Kushal Bhurtel is up eight places to 88th with a knock of 62 in the same match and left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi has move up 14 places to 79th in the bowling rankings after grabbing three wickets in two matches.
In the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings, Glenn Maxwell’s 120 not out off just 55 balls in the second T20I of the three-match series against the West Indies in Adelaide has lifted him 11 places to 24th position while Tim David (up 35 places to 27th) and David Warner (up 19 places to 36th) are other Australia players to move up the batting rankings.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa has moved up from 16th to 11th in the bowling rankings after picking five wickets in the series while Marcus Stoinis has moved from fifth to second in the all-rounders’ list.
For the West Indies, Johson Charles progressed from 50th to 38th while Sherfane Rutherford and Andrew Russell too gained after guiding their team to a consolation win in the final match. Rutherford is up 11 places to 61st after an unbeaten 67 and Russell up 54 places to 111th after scoring 71.
The Test rankings see South Africa’s David Bedingham move up 30 places to 79th in the batting rankings after scores of 32 and 87 in the first Test against New Zealand in Tauranga, that the home side won by 281 runs. Rachin Ravindra is one place behind him in 80th position.
In the bowling rankings, New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has gained six places to reach eighth position after finishing with six wickets in the match while Matt Henry is up five places to 26th.
Bambi Benz
South Africa has made quite a record in the world of cricket. However, one record they have maintained for years is bringing the fastest bowlers in international cricket tournaments. When we talk about the fastest bowlers from South Africa, we cannot skip mentioning Allan Donald, popularly called the ‘White Lightning’ for his astonishing bowling speed. Additionally, cricket is one of the most played games in South Africa. That clearly shows that the country hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003.
Third Moon
Rugby was introduced to South Africa by British soldiers garrisoned in Cape Town in 1875.