Chanderpaul breaks into top five batsmen in ICC ranking

After winning the man-of-the-match award in the second Test against Australia, which ended in draw at Antigua on Tuesday, Shivnarine Chanderpaul moved up two places to fifth position in the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

Sarwan also moves up after match-saving innings; Taylor into top 20 bowlers in the rankings; progress too for Lee, Katich and Jaques Kallis, according to ICC ranking received here on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old left-hander Chanderpaul is now level with South Africa's Jacques Kallis and is very much in touch with the top players, just three ratings points behind Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan, and also within striking distance of Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka in third spot, Australia captain Ricky Ponting in second and another Aussie, Michael Hussey at the top.

Chanderpaul is currently enjoying the best rating of his career and is surely in the form of his life. In the past 12 months, he has played nine Tests and plundered 1,062 runs at an average of 106.20, including five centuries.

Other batsmen to make progress up the rankings include Simon Katich (up 12 places to 56th spot) and Phil Jaques (up three to 34th).

After missing the first Test through injury, Jerome Taylor has rocketed back into the top 20 of for bowlers. The 23-year-old Jamaican took five wickets in the match including the scalp of Ponting in both innings and moved up 12 places in the tightly packed rankings as a result.

Australia's in-form fast bowler Brett Lee has strengthened his position in fourth spot in the bowling rankings and is now enjoying the highest rating of his career so far. The 31-year-old New South Welshman took personal-best match figures of 8-110 in Antigua and is closing the gap on team-mate Stuart Clark, who is currently occupying third spot.

Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan is still in first position with Dale Steyn of South Africa just behind him in second place. ICC Test rankings (as of 4 June)


BATSMEN:

1. Mike Hussey (Aus)

2. Ricky Ponting (Aus)

3. K.C.Sangakkara (SL)

4. Muhammad Yousuf (Pak)

5. S.Chanderpaul (WI)

6. Jacques Kallis (SA)

7. Matthew Hayden (Aus)

8. M.Jayawardena (SL)

9. Younus Khan (Pak)

10.Kevin Pietersen (Eng)


BOWLERS:

1. M.Muralitharan (SL)

2. Dale Steyn (SA)

3. Stuart Clark(Aus)

4. Brett Lee (Aus)

5. Makhaya Ntini (SA)

6. Ryan Sidebottom (Eng)

7. Chaminda Vaas (SL)

8. Anil Kumble (Ind)

9. Shoaib Akhtar (Pak)

10. Shane Bond (NZ)