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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Swann replaces Vettori as World No. 1 ODI bowler

Swann replaces Vettori as World No. 1 ODI bowler

July 11, 2011 02:03 IST
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Graeme Swann [ Images ] became the world's number one ODI bowler for the first time in his career after the off-spinner's eight-wicket haul helped England [ Images ] to a 3-2 series win against Sri Lanka [ Images ].

The 32-year-old claimed series figures of 8-164 against the visiting Lankan team to dethrone New Zealand's [ Images ] left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori [ Images ], who had held the spot since September 2009 in the ICC [ Images ] Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.

Swann is also ranked number two in Test cricket, behind South Africa's [ Images ] Dale Steyn [ Images ], but his number one ODI ranking is the first time an England bowler has achieved in any form of the game since Steve Harmison's [ Images ] brief rose to the top of the Test rankings in August 2004.

Graeme SwannIndia's [ Images ] off-spinner Harbhajan Singh [ Images ] is at ninth place in the ODI bowling chart while Swann's team-mate James Anderson [ Images ] has risen impressively up the rankings, gaining 17 places to 11th spot.

In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, India's middle-order batsman Virat Kohli [ Images ] and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni [ Images ] are at the 6th and 8th positions respectively.

The batting chart is still topped by the South African duo of Hashim Amla [ Images ] and AB de Villiers [ Images ] with Australia's [ Images ] Shane Watson [ Images ] in third.

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara [ Images ] moves up one place to fourth but his captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan [ Images ] has dropped six places after a wretched series with the bat to sit joint ninth with Australia captain Michael Clarke [ Images ].

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