Muralitharan's loss is Afridi's gain on top-10 ODI bowlers' list
Dubai: Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan has slipped out of the top 10 bowlers in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Rankings for the first time in over a decade, while the West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul has returned to the top five in batting list.
Muralitharan has now slipped below Pakistan's Shahid Afridi who occupies 10th position. Muralitharan, who leads the rankings for Test bowlers, was last out of the top 10 ODI bowlers in July 1997.
In sharp contrast, Afridi has entered the top 10 for the first time in his career after a successful series against Bangladesh in which he bagged 12 wickets. The 28-year-old wrist spinner had started the series in 21st place and climbed 11 positions to join the elite company.
Also on the move is the Pakistan pace quartet of Mohammad Asif, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Iftikhar Anjum.
The bowlers are headed by new Zealand's Daniel Vettori, ahead of Nathan Bracken of Australia.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Rankings for ODI batsmen, the West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a top five hit after memorable performances against Sri Lanka. Chanderpaul scored an unbeaten 62, including 10 off the last two deliveries from Chaminda Vaas, in the first ODI to pull off a one-wicket victory, followed by 52 not out to seal the series in game two. These performances have helped Chanderpaul climb five spots to share fifth place with Australia's Matthew Hayden.
The other big mover in the batting list is Pakistan's Salman Butt who jumps from 53rd place to 23rd position after his record-breaking series against Bangladesh. Butt scored a record 451 runs, the most by a Pakistani in a bilateral series, and by any one-day international batsman in a five-match series.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Rankings ODI Championship table, Sri Lanka drop two rating points after their 2-0 defeat against the West Indies while Pakistan hold firm in fifth.