Black Caps’ batsmen climb ICC rankings

Cricket365
December 2, 2014

New Zealand cricketers Mark Craig, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, and Kane Williamson continued to progress in the ICC Test Player Rankings following the side's innings and 80 run victory over Pakistan in the third Test at Sharjah on Sunday.

Black Caps captain McCullum vaulted five places to 14th position in the latest rankings for Test Batsmen, which were released on Monday, following his double century (202) in New Zealand's record innings tally of 690 against Misbah-ul-Haq's side.

Taylor remained the highest-ranked New Zealand batsman, and he moved up one place to ninth after scoring 50, while Kane Williamson's highest Test score of 192 moved the 24-year-old up four places to a career-high 12th place. Craig climbed 19 places to 77th after his score of 65.

Pakistan's Asad Shafiq moved up three places to 18th after scores of 11 and 137, while his team-mate Mohammad Hafeez moved up 12 places to 40th after his innings of 197 and 24.

In the rankings for Test Bowlers, New Zealand's Trent Boult moved up one place to ninth position after taking four wickets for 92 runs in the match.

Craig's maiden 10-wicket haul in a Test (10 for 203) saw the off-spinner vault 30 places to a career high 58th position, while Ish Sodhi moved up three places to a career high 71st after match figures of three for 158.

For Pakistan, Yasir Shah gained three places and went to a career high 27th following his match figures of four for 193. Rahat Ali, meanwhile, moved up nine places to a career high 44th after claiming four wickets for 99.

The batting table continued to be headed by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, while Dale Steyn led the bowlers' list. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan was the number-one ranked all-rounder.