Bowlers make a move in the ODI bowling rankings

The group stage of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 has resulted in a number of positive movements in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, which were released on Tuesday.

England pace bowler Steven Finn has now moved up a place to joint second with Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal. The bowlers’ table is still headed by West Indies’ Sunil Narine.

Also moving up are India left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja in fourth (up by three) and England pace bowler James Anderson in fifth (up by four). Also returning to the top ten is Sri Lanka's Nuwan Kulasekara in 10th (up by three).

New Zealand veteran Daniel Vettori has re-entered the rankings in 16th place.

Others moving in the right direction are Lasith Malinga in 11th (up by one), Kyle Mills in 12th (up by four), Kemar Roach in 18th (up by two), Rangana Herath in 24th (up by six), Shane Watson in 29th (up by two), Stuart Broad in 32nd (up by one), Ryan McLaren in 34th (up by 13) and Nathan McCullum in 38th (up by seven).

The highest wicket-taker of the tournament in the group stage with 11 wickets, New Zealand's Mitchell McClenaghan has jumped 15 places to 41st.

Meanwhile, England captain Alastair Cook has moved up two places to eighth in the latest Reliance ICC Rankings for ODI batsmen. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has jumped seven places to return to the top 10 and is now at 10th after scoring 173 runs from three matches.

Also moving in the right direction inside the top 20 are Suresh Raina in 14th (up by one), George Bailey in 17th (up by six) and Ian Bell in 18th (up by three).

Outside the top 20, the batsmen moving up are Kane Williamson in 21st (up by nine), Mahela Jayawardene in 24th (up by three), Chris Gayle in 34th (up by two), Joe Root in 35th (up by seven), Nasir Jamshaid in 38th (up by eight), Faf du Plessis in 43rd (up by seven) and Rohit Sharma in 47th (up by 11).

The highest run-getter of the tournament until the end of the group stage, Shikhar Dhawan, has re-entered the batting rankings in 50th place. Dhawan has scored 264 runs so far in the tournament, with two back-to-back hundreds.

The batting table is still topped by South Africa captain AB de Villiers, with teammate Hashim Amla in second place and India's Virat Kohli in third place.

The player rankings will next be updated on Monday, 24 June, a day after the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

To find out exactly how the forthcoming series will affect the Championship Table, please click here. The ODI and T20I Championship tables, unlike the Test Championship Table, are updated after every match.

India consolidates top position on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship table

Meanwhile, India’s unbeaten run in the group stage of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 has helped it strengthen its position as the number-one ranked team on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table.

India had entered the tournament on 119 ratings points and has moved to 121 thanks to its victories over South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan.

England is now ranked second after moving up two places from fourth, thereby pushing Australia to third position.

Second-ranked England and third-placed Australia are level on 113 ratings points, but Alastair Cook’s side is ranked above Michael Clarke’s team by a fraction of a point.

South Africa has dropped a place to fourth with a loss of one ratings points to 112 following the completion of the group stage. Sri Lanka at fifth and Pakistan at sixth have retained their pre-tournament positions.

There is a close tussle between New Zealand and West Indies for seventh place on the table. Currently, New Zealand and West Indies are level on 88 ratings points, but Brendon McCullum’s side is ranked above Dwayne Bravo’s team by a fraction of a point.

To find out more about the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, please visitwww.icc-cricket.com

Tweet about the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 using the official tournament hashtag #ct13

Upcoming Fixtures

19 June: England v South Africa, 1st semi-final, The Oval, London

20 June: India v Sri Lanka, 2nd semi-final, Cardiff Wales Stadium, Cardiff

23 June: Final, Edgbaston, Birmingham