ICC set to embrace player ratings

McGrath is currently top Test bowler and Australia top team

World cricket's governing body is to officially endorse player rankings for the first time.

The "LG ICC Player Rankings" will work on the same system devised by former England captain Ted Dexter in 1987 and sponsored by PwC for the last 18 years.

Electronics giant LG will also sponsor the Test and one-day team rankings.

"The fact that all of this information is now official is very good news for the sport its passionate fans alike," said Indian great Sunil Gavaskar.

I congratulate the ICC on their initiative Ted Dexter Player rankings inventor

The International Cricket Council adopted an official Test ranking in May 2001 and complemented it with a one-day version the following year.

"Today's announcement means that due to the support of LG we now have a full suite of official rankings," said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.

India captain Sourav Ganguly was also present at the announcement in New Delhi.

"These player rankings have been tried and tested over many years and it is excellent news that they have now been officially recognised," he said.

Dexter said in a statement: "I congratulate the ICC on their initiative in giving these rankings official status for the first time."

Australia maintained top spot in the Test Championship with a recent 3-0 home series victory over Pakistan.

They also lead the way in the ODI Championship table, with New Zealand their closest challenger.

There are six different tables in the player rankings, with the top Test batsman Rahul Dravid and the top Test bowler Glenn McGrath.

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ICC Test Championship standings 

26 March 

1 Australia      141 
2 India          111 
3 Sri Lanka      109 
4 South Africa   109 
5 England        108 
6 Pakistan        94 
7 New Zealand     91 
8 West Indies     73 
9 Bangladesh       1 

Zimbabwe excluded — too few matches 
played since August 2004 

                                       
LG ICC Player Rankings 
Test placings (27 March) 

Batting:          Team   Rating 
 1 K Sangakkara    Sri    916 
 2 M Hussey        Aus    912 
 3 R Ponting       Aus    899 
 = J Kallis        SA     899 
 5 Mmd Yousuf      Pkn    880 
 6 M Hayden        Aus    860 
 7 M Jayawardene   Sri    844 
 8 Younus Khan     Pkn    799 
 9 S Chanderpaul   WI     785 
10 K Pietersen     Eng    784 
Other leading England players: 
17=A Cook          Eng    679 
19 I Bell          Eng    674 
20 P Collingwood   Eng    668 

                                       
LG ICC Player Rankings 
Test placings (27 March) 

Bowling:          Team   Rating 
 1 M Muralitharan  Sri    901 
 2 D Steyn         SA     893 
 3 S Clark         Aus    829 
 4 B Lee           Aus    795 
 5 M Ntini         SA     754 
 6 A Kumble        Ind    738 
 7 C Vaas          SL     717 
 8 S Bond          NZ     688 
9 S Akhtar        Pkn    684 
10 R Sidebottom    Eng    665 
Other leading England players: 
13 M Hoggard       Eng    637 
14 A Flintoff      Eng    621 
16 M Panesar       Eng    617 

                                       
ICC One-day Ch'ship standings 
14 March 
                Rating 
1 South Africa   127 
2 Australia      127 
3 New Zealand    113 
4 India          113 
5 Pakistan       109 
6 Sri Lanka      107 
7 England        105 
8 West Indies     96 
9 Bangladesh      46 
10 Ireland         28 
11 Zimbabwe        18 
12 Kenya            0 

Where two teams are level on points, 
the team with the better win ratio is 
given a higher placing 

                                       
LG ICC Player Rankings 
One-day internationals (23 March) 

Batting:          Team    Rating 
 1 G Smith         SA      792 
 2 S Tendulkar     Ind     777 
 3 R Ponting       Aus     770 
 4 Mmd Yousuf      Pkn     752 
 5 M Hayden        Aus     740 
 6 M Hussey        Aus     736 
 7 K Pietersen     Eng     735 
 8 A Gilchrist     Aus     738 
 9 AB de Villiers  SA      733 
10 S Chanderpaul   WI      721 
Other leading England players: 
20 I Bell          Eng     657 
21 P Collingwood   Eng     651 
42 A Flintoff      Eng     531 
43 A Strauss       Eng     530 

                                       
LG ICC Player Rankings 
One-day internationals (23 March) 

Bowling:          Team    Rating 
 1 D Vettori       NZ      790 
 2 N Bracken       Aus     770 
 3 S Bond          NZ      736 
4 C Vaas          SL      699 
5 K Mills         NZ      683 
6 A Nel           SA      682 
 7 D Powell        WI      673 
8 B Lee           Aus     671 
 9 M Muralitharan  Sri     668 
10 J Taylor        WI      660 
Leading England players: 
14 A Flintoff      Eng     634 
24 J Anderson      Eng     591 
33 C Broad         Eng     563