South Africa’s maiden ODI series win in Sri Lanka has helped it, as well as its players, to make upward movements in the latest Reliance ICC ODI Rankings, which were released on Sunday. South Africa won the third and final ODI by 82 runs and claimed the series 2-1.
South Africa had entered the three-match series in fifth position on 109 ratings points, and has now joined Sri Lanka on 111 ratings points but is ranked behind Sri Lanka, in fourth position, when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point. This gain of two ratings points means South Africa now trails number-one ranked Australia by four ratings points and second-ranked India by one rating point.
With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 starting in Australia and New Zealand in seven months, only six ratings points separate the top five sides. with South Africa to play at least 17 ODIs before it opens its World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe in Hamilton on 15 February. While these matches will help South Africa to prepare for the mega event, they will also provide it with the chance to surge to the top of the ODI team rankings.
South Africa players have also benefitted from the series as most of the highest-ranking players have moved in the right direction.
In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, Hashim Amla is now sitting just behind his captain and number-one ranked AB de Villiers after finishing the series as the leading run-getter with 258 runs. Amla, who scored centuries in the opening two matches, has gained two places and now trails de Villiers by 17 ratings points.
De Villiers has been rewarded for his series aggregate of 212 runs by earning 13 ratings points which have given him a career-best rating of 885.
Quinton de Kock, who represented South Africa in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012 in Townsville, has moved up two places to a career-best 11th ranking following his series contribution of 159 runs that included a 128 in the last ODI in Hambantota.
David Miller is the other South Africa batsman to make gains in the latest rankings. The left-handed batsman has earned five places and is now sitting in 40th position.
In the Reliance ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, fast bowler Ryan McLaren and wrist spinner Imran Tahir have achieved career-best rankings.
McLaren, who was the most successful bowler of the series with nine wickets, has broken into the top 10 in 10th position after jumping 10 places. Tahir, who claimed six wickets, has rocketed 32 places to occupy 51st spot.
JP Duminy 63rd (up five places) and Vernon Philander 87th (up six places) are the other South Africa bowlers to head in the right direction.
However, there was discouraging news for Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Jacques Kallis who have slipped in the batting charts. Duminy has fallen seven places to 29th, Kallis has dropped four places to 40th and du Plessis has slipped three places to 54th.
In the bowling, both Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have slipped to fourth and eighth, respectively, after conceding two places each.
For Sri Lanka, captain Angelo Mathews and Ajantha Mendis have made the most of the series.
Mathews’ 105 runs in three matches have helped him gain two places to put him in 22nd spot, while Mendis’ seven wickets have allowed him to move up seven places to 32nd position.
Lasith Malinga has moved up one place and is now in 21st spot while Tillakaratne Dilshan has gained five places in the bowling table and is now in 67th position.
To find out exactly how the forthcoming series will affect the Rankings Table, please click here. The ODI and T20I Rankings tables, unlike the Test Rankings Table, are updated after every match.
Reliance ICC ODI Rankings (as on 13 July after Sri Lanka-South Africa ODI series)
Rank Team Rating
1 Australia 115
2 India 112
3 Sri Lanka 111
4 South Africa 111
5 England 109
6 Pakistan 100
7 New Zealand 98
8 West Indies 94
9 Bangladesh 72
10 Zimbabwe 61
11 Afghanistan 34
12 Ireland 33
(Developed by David Kendix)
Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings (as on 13 July after Sri Lanka-South Africa ODI series)
Batsmen (top 10)
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave HS Rating
1 ( – ) AB de Villiers SA 885! 49.94 885 v SL at Hambantota 2014
2= (+2) Hashim Amla SA 868 54.58 901 v Eng at Trent Bridge 2012
( – ) Virat Kohli Ind 868 52.16 886 v Ban at Fatullah 2014
4 (-1) George Bailey Aus 856*! 53.12 856 v Eng at Adelaide 2014
5 ( – ) K Sangakkara SL 823 40.39 853 v Afg at Mirpur 2014
6 ( – ) MS Dhoni Ind 771 53.28 836 v Aus at Delhi 2009
7 ( – ) T. Dilshan SL 750 38.02 767 v Pak at Sharjah 2013
8 ( – ) Misbah-ul-Haq Pak 715 44.38 744 v SL at Fatullah 2014
9 ( – ) Ross Taylor NZ 713! 40.07 713 v Ind at Wellington 2014
10 ( – ) Shikhar Dhawan Ind 712* 41.77 736 v WI at Kanpur 2013
Selected Rankings
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave HS Rating
11 (+2) Quinton de Kock SA 699*! 47.36 699 v SL at Hambantota 2014
22 (+2) Angelo Mathews SL 619! 36.76 619 v SA at Hambantota 2014
29 (-7) JP Duminy SA 603 38.44 668 v Net at Mohali 2011
35 (-1) M. Jayawardene SL 572 32.90 738 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2001
40= (-4) Jacques Kallis SA 556 44.36 817 v WI at Johannesburg 2004
(+5) David Miller SA 556 31.66 557 v SL at Colombo (RPS) 2014
43 (-2) L. Thirimanne SL 545 29.33 573 v Pak at Mirpur 2014
49 (-3) D. Chandimal SL 528 30.34 667 v Aus at Adelaide 2012
54 (-3) F. du Plessis SA 519 27.55 552 v Eng at The Oval 2013
70 (+7) Kusal Perera SL 487*! 26.28 487 v SA at Hambantota 2014
Bowlers (top 10)
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave Econ HS Rating
1 ( – ) Saeed Ajmal Pak 789 22.25 4.14 810 v SA at Centurion 2013
2 (+1) Sunil Narine WI 714 26.97 4.19 791 v SL at Jamaica 2013
3 (+1) James Anderson Eng 706 28.69 4.94 719 v SA at The Oval 2013
4 (-2) Dale Steyn SA 703 25.98 4.83 746 v Ind at Durban 2013
5= (+2) Clint McKay Aus 666 24.37 4.78 709 v Eng at Cardiff 2013
(+2) Ravindra Jadeja Ind 666 32.58 4.71 738 v Zim at Bulawayo 2013
7 (-2) L. Tsotsobe SA 664 24.96 4.75 743 v NZ at Auckland 2012
8 (-2) Morne Morkel SA 656 23.75 4.83 717 v SL at East London 2012
9 ( – ) Mitchell Johnson Aus 639 25.88 4.85 724 v Ban at Darwin 2008
10= ( – ) M. Hafeez Pak 637 35.60 4.06 769 v Ind at Kolkata 2013
(+10) Ryan McLaren SA 637! 25.96 5.10 637 v SL at Hambantota 2014
Selected Rankings
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave Econ HS Rating
14 (-1) S. Senanayake SL 625* 34.82 4.62 629 v SA at Colombo (RPS) 2014
15 (-1) Rangana Herath SL 623 32.46 4.36 703 v SA at Pallekele 2013
21 (+1) Lasith Malinga SL 597 27.12 5.20 675 v Ban at Colombo (RPS) 2007
23 (-2) Angelo Mathews SL 590 35.62 4.51 649 v Ind at Trinidad 2013
32 (+7) Ajantha Mendis SL 557 20.33 4.48 648 v NZ at Colombo (RPS) 2011
35 (-8) N. Kulasekara SL 549 33.29 4.72 727 v NZ at Colombo (RPS) 2009
51 (+32) Imran Tahir SA 467*! 17.68 4.37 467 v SL at Hambantota 2014
55 (-3) Wayne Parnell SA 454* 31.02 5.59 515 v Eng at The Oval 2012
63 (+5) JP Duminy SA 442! 41.31 4.93 442 v SL at Hambantota 2014
67 (+5) T. Dilshan SL 431 46.84 4.75 497 v SA at Colombo (RPS) 2013
79 (-4) Jacques Kallis SA 389 31.79 4.84 641 v WI at Barbados 2001
87 (+6) Vernon Philander SA 367* 26.05 4.37 369 v SL at Pallekele 2014
All-rounders
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts HS Rating
1 ( – ) M Hafeez Pak 417 438 v Ind at Kolkata 2013
2 ( – ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 371 453 v Zim at Chittagong 2009
3 ( – ) Angelo Mathews SL 365 373 v Pak at Mirpur 2014
| ! | Indicates career-highest rating |
| * | Indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after a minimum of 40 started innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating after he has conceded 1,500 runs |