ICC ODI Rankings: Dale Steyn and Mitchell Starc close the gap on Saeed Ajmal at the top

Mitchell Starc has been the most impressive bowler at the 2015 World Cup

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Dale Steyn of South Africa and Australia’s Mitchell Starc have Saeed Ajmal’s number-one ranking firmly within their sights. Steyn has gained one place to rise to second spot to trail the absent Pakistan off-spinner by just five ratings points.

Starc, who started the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in seventh spot, is now on a career-high third position after leading the bowlers’ list with 16 wickets. He is four ratings points behind Steyn and nine ratings points behind Ajmal.

England’s James Anderson and Morne Morkel are the other bowlers inside the top 10 to improve their rankings. Anderson has gained one place to occupy sixth position while Morkel is 10th after rising two places.

New Zealand’s Trent Boult leads the charge of the other bowlers outside the top 10 as he has vaulted nine places to claim a career-best 15th position, thanks to his 15 wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to date.

Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka has climbed six places to 27th after his 11 wickets in the series to date, West Indies captain Jason Holder has joined his Sri Lanka counterpart Angelo Mathews in 28th spot after taking nine wickets to date, India’s Umesh Yadav has climbed eight places to 34th after his 10 wickets to date and James Faulkner has leaped 12 places to 35th.

Rank	Player	Team	Points
1	Saeed Ajmal	Pakistan	722
2	Dale Steyn	South Africa	717
3	Mitchell Starc	Australia	713
4	Sunil Narine	West Indies	712
5	Imran Tahir	South Africa	699
6	James Anderson	England	670
7	Shakib Al Hasan	Bangladesh	667
8	Mitchell Johnson	Australia	666
9	Daniel Vettori	New Zealand	659
10	Morne Morkel	South Africa	658