Mustafizur attains career-best ranking in ODIs

Sport Desk: Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has attained career-best rankings after creditable performances in a three-match One-Day International series which New Zealand won 3-0 at home.
 
Mustafizur, recently named the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year for 2016, has moved up 19 places to 29th rank in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers after grabbing four wickets from two matches. The left-arm bowler took two for 62 in the first match in Christchurch and two for 32 in the final match in Nelson.
 
Meanwhile, New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner has moved up 16 slots to 34th position in the rankings table led by New Zealand pace bowler Trent Boult. The left-arm spinner also finished with four wickets in the series including a best of two for 38 in the last match.
 
New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee has gained five places to reach 26th position after taking five wickets in the series. Bangladesh’s Taskin Ahmed (up eight places to 78th rank) and New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham (up 20 places to 120th rank) are among the others to have made upward movement.
 
In the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen led by AB de Villiers of South Africa, New Zealand opener Tom Latham, who slammed a fine 137 in the first match, has gained 11 slots to reach 33rd position, while Mossadek Hossain of Bangladesh has moved up 37 places to reach 133rd rank.
 
There was no change of standings in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings led by Australia with 120 points. However, Bangladesh has allowed Pakistan to bridge the gap in the team rankings, which will determine the automatic qualifiers for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
 
Bangladesh has lost four points after starting the series at 95 points. Pakistan is on 89 points and the West Indies on 86 points. Host England and seven other highest-ranked sides as on 30 September 2017 will qualify directly for the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over tournament.
 
MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings (as on 1 January after the New Zealand-Bangladesh series):
 
Rank   Team              Points
1          Australia         120
2          South Africa   116
3          India                111
4          New Zealand   111
5          England           107
6          Sri Lanka        101
7          Bangladesh     91
8          Pakistan          89
9          West Indies     86
10        Afghanistan    52
11        Zimbabwe       48
12        Ireland             42
 

Source: ICC

risingbd/DHAKA/1 Jan 2017/Porag/Augustin Sujan