Bracken slips from top spot in Reliance Mobile ICC player rankings

Australias Nathan Bracken has slipped off the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers following a relatively disappointing series against Bangladesh.

Dubai, Sept.7 : Australia's Nathan Bracken has slipped off the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers following a relatively disappointing series against Bangladesh.

In three ODIs, the 30-year-old took just two wickets at an average of 29 and, such is the competitive nature of the rankings, that was enough to knock him off top spot. His place is taken by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

Vettori had surged to the top of bowling chart back in February before Bracken swapped places with the left-arm spinner following the second ODI between England and New Zealand at Birmingham on 18 June.

Bracken's team-mate Mitchell Johnson has also slipped one place to fourth but fellow pacer Stuart Clark has jumped four places after picking up five wickets at an average of 9.20. He shares 15th spot with the West Indies' Daren Powell and Pakistan's Iftikhar Anjum.

Shane Watson has returned to the top 50 after rocketing 14 places to share 40th place with India's Praveen Kumar.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak has strengthened his status as Bangladesh's premier bowler by climbing seven places to 27th position while Saqibul Hasan has also jumped seven places to 39th spot. However, fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza has failed to defend his 36th position and has dropped to 42nd spot after a wicketless series.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, Australia's stand-in captain Michael Clarke has dropped one place to 15th after scoring 40 runs at an average of 13.33.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has risen 10 places to 35th position but captain Mohammad Ashraful has slipped three places to 59th.

India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni leads Australia's Mike Hussey in the batting chart while England's Andrew Flintoff heads the all-rounders' category.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship, Australia's 3-0 victory has earned it one ratings point which has lifted it to 131 ratings points. In contrast, Bangladesh has dropped to 45 ratings points.

The ODI action resumes next month when New Zealand plays Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series in Mirpur (9 and 11 October) and Chittagong (14 October) while Ireland, Zimbabwe and Kenya feature in a tri-series in Nairobi from 17 to 25 October.

ANI