Biggest gain for Johnson Charles in ICC rankings

Dubai, Feb 26 (IANS/CMC) Opening batsman Johnson Charles has achieved the biggest gain for West Indian batsmen in the latest ICC ODI rankings.

Charles has climbed 30 places to number 63 after separate centuries for the West Indies in Australia and in the Caribbean earlier this month.

The St. Lucian batsman, who got to three figures in the final game of the five-match ODI series against Australia and again in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Grenada last Friday, has now soared to 439 ratings points.

Middle order batsman Darren Bravo also scaled the rankings on the strength of his maiden ODI century in the first match against Zimbabwe last Friday. Bravo is nine places better with 556 ratings points.

Ramnarwesh Sarwan, who returned to international cricket after a break lasting nearly two years, has moved up two notches to number 58.

Sarwan recently had high scores including an unbeaten century in the second ODI between the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

However, Dwayne Bravo slipped four places in the batting while Kieron Pollard also slid a notch.

In the bowler’s ranking, Sunil Narine has moved up a place to second with a career-best 766 ratings points.

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, pacer Tino Best and Kemar Roach have also made significant strides up the rankings.

Russell has moved up 13 places to number 48, Best has climbed 12 places to 88 while Roach has climbed six places.

There were also marginal rise for Dwayne Bravo but the bowlers’ table is still headed by Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal.

—IANS/CMC

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IANS 2013-02-26 13:50:06