ICC MEDIA RELEASE
Dubai, 15 January 2008
New Zealand skipper makes progress in all three LG ICC Player Rankings categories; Fleming bats his way to career best; Martin makes big impression on bowlers’ list
It was a day to remember for the leader and former leader of New Zealand on Monday as Daniel Vettori and Stephen Fleming both achieved career-best ratings in the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.
Fleming, who scored 87 in the Black Caps’ innings defeat of Bangladesh in the second Test in Wellington , moved up two places to 14th in the rankings achieving his highest career points rating of 702. In 1997, Fleming did reach 12th position on the ladder but with a slightly lower rating than he currently enjoys.
Vettori, too, can be proud of himself at present as the 28-year-old all-rounder hit 94 in his side’s total of 393. Vettori has reached his highest points rating with 577 and in the process has shot up six places to 29th position, the first time ever he has broken into the top 30. Not bad for a player who regularly goes in to bat at number eight.
Vettori has also returned to third place in the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, having briefly lost that position to the retiring Shaun Pollock after the third Test between South Africa and the West Indies at Durban .
It is a sign of just how much Vettori has improved with the bat in recent times. While his overall Test average is a modest 26.38, in the 17 Tests he has played since the start of 2005 he has averaged just over 48.
And to cap it all off, the left-arm spinner is back into the top 20 of the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, drawing level in 20th position with South Africa ’s Andre Nel.
Chris Martin was another Kiwi bowler moving in the right direction following his seven wickets in the match. Martin has gained three places in the latest bowlers’ rankings and now sits in 15th spot having overtaken team-mate James Franklin and Pakistan ’s Mohammad Asif.
The news is not so good for Bangladesh , however, as three of its top batsmen, Mohammad Ashraful (down two places to 51st), Habibul Bashar (down five places to 54th) and Tamim Iqbal (down 13 places to 73rd position) have all lost ground.
With the ball, Mohammad Rafiq has gained one place to 34th position but only because his team-mate, Mashrafe Mortaza has slipped three to 36th spot.
With New Zealand clinching the series 2-0, there is no change in the LG ICC Test Championship table with neither side gaining or losing a full rating point. The Black Caps still remain in seventh position on 91 ratings points with Bangladesh in ninth spot on four points.
LG ICC Test Championship (as of 15 January)
Rank Team Points
1 Australia 143
2 Sri Lanka 109
3 India 109
4 South Africa 108
5 England 107
6 Pakistan 94
7 New Zealand 91
8 West Indies 73
9 Bangladesh 4
(Developed by David Kendix)
LG ICC Test Rankings (as of 15 January)
Batsmen
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating
1 ( - ) K.C.Sangakkara SL 933 56.37 938 v Eng at Kandy 2007
2 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 917 58.11 935 v NZ at Centurion 2007
3 ( - ) Ricky Ponting Aus 901 58.35 942 v Eng at Adelaide 2006
4 ( - ) Mike Hussey Aus 900*! 84.80 900 v Ind at Sydney 2008
5 ( - ) Mhd Yousuf Pak 880 55.49 933 v WI at Karachi 2006
6 ( - ) Matthew Hayden Aus 858 53.19 935 v Eng at Brisbane 2002
7 ( - ) M.Jayawardena SL 835 51.93 836 v Eng at Birmingham 2002
8 ( - ) S.Chanderpaul WI 816 47.31 838 v SA at Cape Town 2008
9 ( - ) Kevin Pietersen Eng 804 50.40 909 v WI at Leeds 2007
10 ( - ) Yunus Khan Pak 799 49.14 856 v Eng at Leeds 2006
11 ( - ) Ashwell Prince SA 730 44.25 756 v Pak at Centurion 2007
12= ( - ) Michael Clarke Aus 711 44.43 761 v Ind at Melbourne 2007
( - ) Alastair Cook Eng 711 ! 45.02 711 v SL at Galle 2007
14= ( - ) S.R.Tendulkar Ind 702 55.44 898 v Zim at Nagpur 2002
(+2) Stephen Fleming NZ 702 ! 39.73 702 v Ban at Wellington 2008
16 (-1) Rahul Dravid Ind 693 55.33 892 v Pak at Kolkata 2005
17 ( - ) Sourav Ganguly Ind 682 43.35 713 v Aus at Adelaide 1999
18 ( - ) VVS Laxman Ind 666 44.26 753 v Aus at Sydney 2004
19 ( - ) Graeme Smith SA 665 47.00 756 v NZ at Wellington 2004
20 ( - ) P.D.Collingwood Eng 664 42.76 730 v Aus at Adelaide 2006
Bowlers
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Econ HS Rating
1 ( - ) M.Muralidaran SL 907 21.77 920 v Ban at Kandy 2007
2 ( - ) Dale Steyn SA 832*! 23.21 832 v WI at Durban 2008
3 ( - ) Stuart Clark Aus 830*! 20.20 830 v Ind at Sydney 2008
4 ( - ) Brett Lee Aus 773 ! 30.08 773 v Ind at Sydney 2008
5 ( - ) Makhaya Ntini SA 768 28.00 863 v Ind at Durban 2006
6 ( - ) Anil Kumble Ind 761 28.68 859 v SL at Bangalore 1994
7 ( - ) Shane Bond NZ 709* 22.39 778 v WI at Auckland 2006
8 ( - ) Shaun Pollock SA 702 23.11 909 v Eng at Johannesburg 1999
9 ( - ) M’thew Hoggard Eng 695 30.01 795 v SL at Birmingham 2006
10 ( - ) Shoaib Akhtar Pak 684 25.69 855 v NZ at Wellington 2003
11 ( - ) Chaminda Vaas SL 666 29.43 800 v Ind at Chennai 2005
12 ( - ) Corey Collymore WI 653* 32.30 700 v Eng at Lord's 2007
13 ( - ) Zaheer Khan Ind 651 33.60 689 v Pak at Delhi 2007
14 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 640 32.02 810 v Pak at Multan 2005
15 (+3) Chris Martin NZ 626 32.47 643 v Eng at Lord's 2004
16 (-1) Mohammad Asif Pak 619* 23.13 710 v SA at Cape Town 2007
17 ( - ) Danish Kaneria Pak 614 33.90 723 v Eng at Multan 2005
18 (-2) James Franklin NZ 612* 28.19 679 v SL at Christchurch 2006
19 ( - ) Monty Panesar Eng 589* 32.76 721 v WI at Chester-le-St 2007
20= (+1) Daniel Vettori NZ 584 34.22 681 v Aus at Auckland 2000
( - ) Andre Nel SA 584 31.22 763 v Aus at Sydney 2006
All-rounders
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating
1 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 527 616 v Pak at Durban 2002
2 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 340 501 v Pak at Multan 2005
3 (+1) Daniel Vettori NZ 337! 337 v Ban at Wellington 2008
4 (-1) Shaun Pollock SA 323 490 v Eng at The Oval 2003
5 ( - ) Chaminda Vaas SL 276 281 v Ind at Chennai 2005
*indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after playing 40 Test innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating when he reaches 100 Test wickets.
!indicates career-highest rating
For more information on the LG ICC Player Rankings go to http://www.lgiccrankings.com/