Australia's cricketers return home from their successful Caribbean crusade boasting the world's top-ranked one-day international bowler ... and it's not Brett Lee. Nathan Bracken has snuck under the guard to take over from New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori as the top ODI bowler in world cricket.
Bracken may not get the headlines of Lee or the rest of the world's bowling king-pins but it is hard to argue with his new No.1 ranking.
The left-armer heads the list of ODI wicket-takers in 2008 (29 at 17.41) and returned from knee surgery to be Australia's leading bowler in their 5-0 demolition of West Indies.
"A clean sweep of the series was the key objective, but to hit the top of the ODI bowler rankings in the process was a real bonus," Bracken said.
"I'm feeling good. I was able to spend a lot of time with the family over the past couple of months and was really keen to get stuck into some hard work."
Fellow Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who took 5-29 in the final one-dayer, also moved up the ODI bowling rankings to a career-high seventh spot.
Meanwhile, Test skipper Ricky Ponting is recuperating after surgery for a tendon injury in his right wrist.
Ponting is unlikely to be on deck for Australia's ODI series against Bangladesh in Darwin next month but is hoping to be fit for September's Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Australia have several other injury worries, including Matthew Hayden (ankle tendon) and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (broken finger), but Ponting insists Shane Watson, David Hussey and Luke Ronchi will continue to pick up the slack.
"We haven't got the old, wise heads to call on all the time but the blokes we're bringing in are certainly getting the job done," Ponting said.
"And that's exciting for Australia."
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