New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell has attained a career-best third position in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings after helping his team complete a 3-0 series triumph over England at home.
Mitchell’s knocks of 56 not out in the second ODI in Hamilton and 44 in the final match in Wellington this past week has helped him move up two slots and he finished the series with an aggregate of 178 runs, which won him the Player of the Series award.
Left-hander Rachin Ravindra is another one from New Zealand to prosper in the rankings, attaining a career-best-equalling 14th position as his knocks of 44 and 56 in the final two ODIs helped him move up four slots.
South Africa’s Quinton de Kock has re-entered the rankings in 19th position with a knock of 63 in the first ODI against Pakistan in Faisalabad. Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has moved up one slot to 26th position while Salman Agha has attained a career-best 30th position after advancing nine positions with a Player of the Match effort of 62 from 71 deliveries.
Jofra Archer’s three-wicket haul in Hamilton has lifted him two places to a career-best-equalling third position while Pakistan’s Naseem Shah (up 10 places to joint-33rd) and New Zealander Jacob Duffy (up 25 places to 39th) have reached career-best positions. Saurabh Netravalkar of the US (up three places to 17th) is another one to gain,
In the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, West Indian Shai Hope has reached a career-best 12th position among batters, following up his knock of 46 not out in the first T20I against Bangladesh with a 55 this past week.
Afghanistan players Rahmanullah Gurbaz (up three places to 15th) and Ibrahim Zadran (up six places to 20th) have also moved up after their efforts in Zimbabwe, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam (up 10 places to 35th) and Saim Ayub (up 10 places to 39th) are among others to advance.
The bowling rankings see Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi (up three places to 13th), Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (up 13 slots to 14th), West Indies fast bowler Jason Holder (up nine places to 23rd) and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza (up 32 places to 33rd) make notable progress.
Pakistan’s left-arm seamer Salman Mirza has rocketed 98 places to 45th after his three-wicket haul in the second T20I against South Africa in Lahore.
Roma Kabuki
The small gates through which cricket balls must pass through are called “wickets”. The term is used due to the similarity of the stumps to wicket gates, which are small pedestrian gates or doors.
Toy Town
Sport Trivia: Which South African swimmer was the first woman ever to win both the 100m and 200m Olympic breaststroke event, this was achieved at the 1996 Olympics? Answer: Penny Heyns. Penny Heyns is regarded as one of the best breaststroke swimmers ever. At the Atlanta Olympics, she won her first gold for the 100 metres breaststroke in a world record time of 1:07:02 and her second gold in the 200 metres in an Olympic record time of 2:25:41.