Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: England and Zimbabwe cricketers have surged in the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, which were released on Saturday and incorporates player performances from the Galle and Sylhet Tests. The England duo of Keaton Jennings and Ben Foakes are the biggest gainers in the batting chart. Jennings, who scored 46 and 146 not out in his side’s 211-run victory over Sri Lanka, has vaulted 41 places to claim 46th position, while Foakes has entered the rankings in 69th spot following his 107 and 37, that also earned him the Player of the Match award.

Sam Curran and Ben Stokes have also made upward movements among batters. Curran has moved up nine places to a career-high 35th position following his 48 in the first innings, while Stokes has moved up three places to 28th after scoring seven and 62. In the bowling table, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have headed in the right direction. Ali’s eight for 137 in the match has moved him up four places to 27th, while Rashid’s three wickets have lifted him three places to 41st. The biggest mover in the latest bowling table from the Galle Test was Dilruwan Perera, who has returned to the top-20 in 19th position after jumping five places following his figures of five for 75 and two for 94. Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has retired in eighth position after slipping one place. He took one for 78 and two for 59. Herath finished his career with 433 wickets in 93 Tests.

A number of Zimbabwe cricketers, led by captain Hamilton Masakadza, have been rewarded for their outstanding performances in the Sylhet Test in which they beat Bangladesh by 151 runs. Masakadza, who has now become the longest-serving Test cricketer with the retirement of Herath, scored 52 and 48 and, as such, he earned a gain of 12 places to claim 34th position in the batting table. Sean Williams, who was declared Player of the Match for his 88 and 20, has risen 17 places to 77th position. Peter Moor is the other notable mover, gaining six places to sit in 86th position following his contribution of 63 not out in the first innings.

In the bowlers’ list, fast bowler Kyle Jarvis has achieved a career-high ranking of 60th after his three wickets lifted him 13 places, while Sikandar Raza has gained five places and is now on a career-best 70th spot following his six wickets. Brandon Mavuta’s four wickets in the second innings have helped him enter the rankings in 81st position.

The only consolation for Bangladesh was the gains made by Taijul Islam, who has leaped five places to 31st position. Taijul had figures of six for 108 and five for 62. Virat Kohli of India leads the batting chart, while England’s James Anderson is the number-one ranked Test bowler.

Published in Daily Times, November 11^th 2018.