Chanderpaul lost top ranking
Published:Monday | May 11, 2009 | 10:03 AM
West Indies batting star Shivnarine Chanderpaul has lost the Number One spot in the Reliance Mobile International Cricket Council’s Player Rankings for Test batsmen.
Chanderpaul held the top spot on the Test batting list since July last year, but slipped to Number Two in the latest rankings list after his side’s 10-wicket defeat to England at Lord’s last week.
Pakistan’s Younis Khan is the new Number One and Chanderpaul shares second position with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.
The left-handed Chanderpaul, who was 2008 ICC Player of the Year, scored only four runs during the first Test against England but will have an immediate chance to make amends in the second Test starting Thursday.
The only other West Indies batsman in the Top-20 is Ramnaresh Sarwan, who slips one place to 14th.
West Indies captain Chris Gayle is at Number 21.
In the bowlers’ ratings, West Indies pacer Fidel Edwards is back in the Top-20 at 20th after his first innings six for 92 at Lord’s. His new-ball partner Jerome Taylor, at ninth, is the only West Indian in the Top-10.
Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan keeps the Number One position, stalked by South African Dale Steyn and Mitchell Johnson, of Australia.
On the all-rounders’ list, Gayle dropped out of the top five and is now sixth on the list that is still headed by South African Jacques Kallis.