Share

Rabada no longer No 1, Steyn drops to lowest ranking

Cape Town - Kagiso Rabada is no longer the world's No 1 Test bowler, according to the latest ICC rankings, following the Proteas' heavy 199-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo.

READ: Proteas' defeat upsets Asia win-loss Test ledger

After picking up just one wicket, Rabada has fallen to the No 2 spot, meaning England fast bowler James Anderson will start his country's 1 000th Test next week as the top-ranked bowler.

Rabada had claimed the top spot from Anderson following the Port Elizabeth Test against Australia earlier this year.

Rabada entered the Colombo Test leading Anderson by seven points, but now trails the Englishman by 10 points.

There was also some bad news for veteran fast bowler Dale Steyn.

Steyn remained wicketless for the first time in his career in the Colombo Test.

As a result, he conceded 36 points and dropped five places in the latest rankings. Steyn is now ranked 24th on 635 points, which is his lowest points total since October 2007.

READ: Maharaj bowls his way into record books

Meanwhile, spinner Keshav Maharaj was rewarded with a rise of five places following his match figures of 12-283, which included 9-129 in the first innings.

Maharaj is now ranked 18th in the world and his tally of points (692) is the most for a Proteas spinner since Paul Harris reached 705 in December 2009.

In the batting department, No 3 batsman Theunis de Bruyn was the biggest mover in the latest rankings.

Although De Bruyn's 101 failed to save his side, his maiden Test century in his sixth Test has lifted the 25-year-old from 148th to 105th (up 43 places).

Proteas opening batsmen Aiden Markram slipped three spots to lie 10th and Dean Elgar dropped one spot to lie ninth.

The Proteas will now shift their attention to the limited overs format with the first of five ODIs set to get underway on Sunday, July 29 (06:15 SA time).

ICC Test rankings:

Batsmen

1. Steve Smith (Aus) - 929

2. Virat Kohli (Ind) - 903

3. Joe Root (Eng) - 855

4. Kane Williamson (NZ) - 847

5. David Warner (Aus) - 820

6. Cheteshwar Pujara (Ind) - 799

7. Dimuth Karunaratne (SL) - 754

8. Dinesh Chandimal (SL) - 733

9. Dean Elgar (SA) - 724

10. Aiden Markram (SA) - 703

Bowlers 

1. James Anderson (Eng) - 892

2. Kagiso Rabada (SA) - 882

3. Ravindra Jadeja (Ind) - 866

4. Vernon Philander (SA) - 826

5. Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind) - 811

6. Pat Cummins (Aus) - 800

7. Trent Boult (NZ) - 795

8. Rangana Herath (SL) - 791

9. Neil Wagner (NZ) - 765

10. Josh Hazlewood (Aus) - 759

All-rounders

1. Shakib Al Hasan (Ban) - 420     

2. Ravindra Jadeja (Ind) - 394  

3. Vernon Philander (SA) - 370

4. Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind) - 365   

5. Jason Holder (WI) - 354

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE