With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 very much on the horizon, the top Associate and Affiliate cricketers have been making some impressive gains in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings with Ireland’s veteran seam bowler Trent Johnston breaking into the top 20 for the first time in his career.
It’s generally accepted that the 36-year-old all-rounder has never been in better form for Ireland than at present and the statistics certainly go along with that. After a successful ODI series against Canada in Toronto, Johnston gained two places and now sits in 20th position in the table, easily the highest ranked Associate bowler in the world. Johnston is now ranked higher than Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka and West Indies’ Dwayne Bravo and just behind the spinners Johan Botha of South Africa and England’s Graeme Swann.
In more good news for Ireland, young batting sensation Paul Stirling has gained 24 places in the latest rankings after his heroics during the second ODI in Toronto. The 20-year-old hit 177 off 134 balls, in a knock that included 21 fours and five sixes, to ensure a 92-run victory for his side.
He is now second in the list of Associate batsmen, not far behind Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands. Canada’s Ashish Bagai, who also enjoyed a successful series with the bat, has gained two places and sits fourth in the list of Associate batsmen and in 52nd place overall while Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien has lost six places to 57th position overall. O’Brien does retain his second place in the all-rounders’ list, however, which is headed by ten Doeschate.
ICC ODI Player Rankings for Associates and Affiliates (as of 12 September) Batsmen Rank (+/-) Indicates a provisional rating ! Indicates a career-high rating For more information go to www.reliancemobileiccrankings.com.
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave HS Rating 33 ( - ) R ten Doeschate Ned 597* 68.55 625 v Sco at Rotterdam 2010 37 (+24) Paul Stirling Ire 575*! 43.00 575 v Can at Toronto 2010 49 (-1) Tom Cooper Ned 540*! 65.44 540 v Ire at Dublin 2010 52 (+2) Ashish Bagai Can 531 ! 37.73 531 v Ire at Toronto 2010 54 (-1) W Porterfield Ire 518 34.55 540 v Ban at Stormont 2010 57 (-6) Kevin O'Brien Ire 514 33.16 540 v Ban at Stormont 2010 61 (-1) Alex Obanda Ken 508*! 32.80 508 v Can at Schiedam 2010 84= (-2) Niall O'Brien Ire 455* 26.79 475 v Aus at Dublin 2010 86 ( - ) Gavin Hamilton Sco 454* 34.57 470 v Eng at Edinburgh 2010 92 ( - ) Steven Tikolo Ken 444 29.76 525 v SA at Nairobi 1999 Bowlers Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave Eco HS Rating 20 (+2) Trent Johnston Ire 588*! 30.04 4.13 588 v Can at Toronto 2010 49 ( - ) Hiren Varaiya Ken 514 27.91 4.09 539 v Net at Nairobi 2010 51 ( - ) Thomas Odoyo Ken 505 30.31 4.59 546 v Ire at Stormont 2008 60 (+1) Peter Ongondo Ken 477 29.46 4.50 596 v Ber at Nairobi 2007 62 (+1) R ten Doeschate Ned 463* 20.95 4.76 484 v Sco at Rotterdam 2010 69= ( - ) Boyd Rankin Ire 450* 24.69 4.84 459 v Ban at Stormont 2010 77 (-1) Sunil Dhaniram Can 442* 30.24 4.20 507 v Ber at King City 2008 79 (-5) Umar Bhatti Can 437* 34.81 4.22 476 v Ire at Centurion 2009 80 (+1) M Bukhari Ned 435* 24.75 4.23 444 v Ire at Dublin 2010 All rounders Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts HS Rating 10 ( - ) R ten Doeschate Ned 276*/* 302 v Sco at Rotterdam 2010 22 ( - ) Kevin O'Brien Ire 218 /* 219 v Net at Dublin 2010 25 ( - ) Thomas Odoyo Ken 216 250 v Sco at Ayr 2008 28 ( - ) Trent Johnston Ire 212*/* 217 v Ban at Stormont 2010 33 (+1) Steve Tikolo Ken 190 222 v Eng at St Lucia 2007