Zimbabwean players suffer in ODI rankings

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S defeat to Bangladesh in the recent One Day International cricket series has not only cost them points in the ICC Super League World Cup qualification.

The Chevrons have failed to make progress on the recent ICC World rankings with stand-in skipper Brendan Taylor remaining unmoved on 40th position, as Zimbabwe’s best ranked batsman.

Taylor scored 24, 46 and 28 runs during the three-match series as Zimbabwe suffered a whitewash at the hands of their old foes.
Sikandar Raza, who was returning from rehabilitation after surgery on his arm, rose one place to 50th position after featuring in the last two games and scoring 30 and 57 runs. Raza also bounced back into the top 10 among the all-rounders.

Middle-order batsman Sean Williams was not involved in the series and he dropped one place to 47th among the batsmen. Craig Ervine is the only other Zimbabwean player involved in the top 100 batting rankings and was unmoved on 81st place. Ervine also missed the tour.
On the bowling front, Tendai Charata, who is Zimbabwe’s highest ranked, slipped from number 43 to 56 while Blessing Muzarabani lost one place to 70th.

There were upward movements for some Bangladesh players. Shakib Al Hasan gained nine places to number eight in the bowlers’ charts.
His eight wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first match against Zimbabwe, were largely responsible for the rise.

Shakib is also sitting top of the all-rounder rankings. Mehedy Hasan cemented his place on fourth place in the bowling rankings while Taskin moved to 72nd.