| Player: | Mohammad Asif |
| Event: | Pakistan in England 2010 |
DateLine: 18th July 2010
ICC Media Release - 18 July 2010
Australia's Simon Katich takes sixth in Test batsmen's rankings
Current Test in Sri Lanka can see both India and Sri Lanka players secure strong positions
Pakistan's fast bowler Mohammad Asif has climbed two places to second position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers despite his side's defeat to Australia at Lord's.
The 27-year-old, who is has played in 18 Tests, took 3-63 in the first innings at Lord's and 3-77 in the second and has managed to move ahead of ICC Cricketer of the Year, Mitchell Johnson, who has now slipped to fourth place after the Australian only took one wicket in the match.
It is Asif's highest ranking to date but he still has some way to go if he wants to catch South Africa's Dale Steyn who currently tops the list.
Further down the table, Asif's team-mate Umar Gul has broken into the top 20 after leaping five places to occupy joint 18th place alongside Australia's Peter Siddle.
Meanwhile, Australia's Shane Watson has vaulted nine places to take 43rd place after the all-rounder took a career-best 5-40 during the match while his team-mate Marcus North rises 28 places to 61st after he took a career-best 6-55 to help seal victory for the Australians.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen the most noticeable mover is Australia's Simon Katich who has risen six places to take joint sixth place with West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Katich's innings of 80 and 83 have seen the 34-year-old move above India's Sachin Tendulkar in a log that is currently headed by India's Virender Sehwag with Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardena close behind in second.
Australia's captain and vice-captain have dropped a place each in the rankings, with Ricky Ponting now sitting 16th and Michael Clarke in fifth place.
Further down the table, Pakistan's new captain Salman Butt has climbed nine places to claim 32nd position while Umar Akmal has dropped four places to 36th in the rankings.
Jacques Kallis still tops the all-rounders' rankings, followed by Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan. Johnson has dropped out of the top five though and now occupies sixth place.
With the Test between Sri Lanka and India underway in Galle the rankings will undoubtedly change at the end of the match especially with the likes of Sehwag and Jayawardena in action. The soon to retire Muttiah Muarlidaran will be aiming to reach the landmark of 800 Test wickets in his final match, an outcome which could well see him climb from his current fifth place in the bowlers' ranking and go out on a high note.
Following is the link of ICC Test Player Rankings (as of 18 July, after the first Test between Pakistan and Australia at Lord's)
http://www.reliancemobileiccrankings.com/
Media Department
(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2010 International Cricket Council)
