LONDON – West Indies captain Jason Holder has retained his all-rounder top-ranking ahead of Thursday’s start of the two-Test series against India in Antigua.
The 27-year-old Barbadian topped the all-rounders’ charts in Tests back in January following his stunning double hundred in the first Test against England at Bridgetown, that propelled the home side to a massive 381-run victory.
Holder also picked up two wickets in that match, to move up two places to the top rung.
He will lead West Indies in the opening Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground where he will look to further solidify his status in the rankings.
Pacer Holder is also the highest-ranked West Indian in the bowling charts at number eight having retained that spot, while fellow Kemar Roach has also retained his 11th place ranking.
Speedster Shannon Gabriel is the other West Indies bowler in the top 20 at number 12.
Australian pacer Pat Cummins sits on top the bowling rankings with South African seamer Kagiso Rabada second and veteran England seamer Jimmy Anderson, third.
In the batting rankings, West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite is the highest-ranked Caribbean player at 36th with Holder popping up at 37th.
Roston Chase (41st), Shane Dowrich (46th) and Shimron Hetmyer (48th) round out the top 50.
India captain Virat Kohli tops the charts with Australian Steve Smith having climbed one place to the second spot, and New Zealand Kane Williamson lying third.
Smith has gained one place to reach the third position among batsmen while spinner Nathan Lyon and fast bowler Cummins are among the others to gain upwards movements.
Smith’s knocks of 144 and 142 won him the Man of the Match award and the formerly top-ranked batsman is back above the 900-point mark along with table leader Virat Kohli (922) and Kane Williamson (913), after having started the Test match in fourth place and with 857 points.
Lyon’s nine wickets in the match have lifted him six spots to 13th position among bowlers while Cummins has consolidated his top position with a seven-wicket match haul that helped him reach a career-best 898 rating points, the third-best for an Australia bowler in the past 50 years after Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
For England, Ben Foakes and Chris Woakes are in 69th and 70th positions in the list for batsmen after gaining one and 11 points, respectively.
Opener Rory Burns’ knock of 133 in the first innings has helped him move up 25 places to a career-best 81st position.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad, who completed 100 Test wickets against Australia during the match, has gained two places to reach 16th position while Woakes has advanced four places to take the 29th slot after grabbing four wickets in the match. Woakes has also leapfrogged compatriot Moeen Ali to reach ninth among all-rounders.
(CMC)