Bangladesh players have made a big impact on the latest LG ICC Player Rankings for One-Day Internationals following a very successful series against Zimbabwe.
Habibul Bashar's team won the series 5-0 and two of its bowlers, Abdur Razzak and Mashrafe Mortaza, have moved into the top 20 ODI bowlers in the world as a result.
Over the course of the series, Razzak moved up 14 places to 12th position in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, registering his highest ever tally of ratings points in the process.
Through the five-match series, the 24-year-old slow left-arm bowler took 12 wickets at an average of 13.25, with an economy rate of 3.24 and a strike-rate better than a wicket every 25 balls.
Mortaza also had a good series and has moved up 11 places to 16th spot on the LG ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. His rating of 639 points is a personal best and puts him within striking distance of fellow countryman Mohammed Rafiq and South Africa paceman Andre Nel.
The 23-year-old right-arm seamer took 11 wickets during the series at an average of 15.18.
Meanwhile, it was also a good series for batsman Shahriar Nafees who moved into the top 20 for the first time. In the series he averaged 68.50 with a top score of 105 not out at Khulna, the only century scored by either side throughout the five games.
The 20-year-old left-handed opener is now averaging 40.90 having played a total of 33 ODIs for his country. He also requires only 27 runs to reach 1000 ODI runs in the calendar year. Only four players -- Kumar Sangakkara, Chris Gayle, Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya -- have so far achieved that feat.
Nafees is now ranked 19th, well ahead of Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis and not far behind Mahela Jayawardene and Rahul Dravid.
Bangladesh's series success has also seen it open up a significant gap between itself and Zimbabwe.
Bangladesh began the series just four rating points clear of its nearest rivals. But the 5-0 margin which has seen it gain seven points while Zimbabwe has lost seven, means there is now 18 rating points between the two sides in ninth and tenth places respectively.
Bangladesh now heads into a two-match series at home to Scotland in what is the first time the Scots will have played an ODI outside of Britain.
Although Zimbabwe lost the series, some of its players put in encouraging performances. Pace bowler Gary Brent has moved up 30 places in the Player Rankings for ODI bowlers to 70th spot after taking seven wickets during the series at an average of 21.28.
Elton Chigumbura is also showing good form having moved up eight places to 59th position in the Player Rankings for ODI batsmen.
As the ODI series between Pakistan and the West Indies continues, Inzamam-ul-Haq is on the rise, having moved up three places to 15th position. Coming back from suspension for the second ODI in the series, the Pakistan captain hit a crucial unbeaten 42 to see his side home by two wickets in a tense finish at Faisalabad last week.
West Indies all-rounder Chris Gayle has slipped down four places to 27th in the bowling rankings and one place to second in the all-rounder category but retains his place as the second ranked ODI batsman. With Gayle slipping, South Africa stalwart Shaun Pollock claims top spot for all-rounders, while also keeping his place atop the bowling rankings.
Australia's Mike Hussey is still in top spot in the Player Rankings for ODI batsmen and there are no movers in the top ten.
In the ICC ODI Championship, Pakistan has moved ahead of New Zealand into third place and with two matches left in its series against the West Indies, Inzamam's team might be able to close the gap on South Africa in second position. Australia remains top.
Pakistan and New Zealand are tied on 113 ratings points but Pakistan is placed higher when those ratings are re-calculated to three decimal places.
Currently involved in a Test series with Sri Lanka, New Zealand will get the chance to respond to Pakistan's challenge when it plays five ODIs against Mahela Jayawardene's side, starting on 28 December in Napier, and then a long tri-series with Australia and England in the New Year.
Having lost two ODIs to Pakistan, the West Indies has also lost three ratings points but remains seventh overall with India sixth and Sri Lanka fifth.
(as of 11 December 2006)
Rank Team Rating
1 Australia 131
2 South Africa 126
3 Pakistan 113
4 New Zealand 113
5 Sri Lanka 108
6 India 106
7 West Indies 103
8 England 99
9 Bangladesh 41
10 Zimbabwe 23
