Cricbeat

Pakistan’s off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has broken into the top three places of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers for the first time in his career. The latest player rankings were released on Friday after the conclusion of West Indies and Pakistan ODI series in Guyana.

Ajmal, 33, took six wickets in the series against the West Indies which Pakistan won by 3-2, has climbed 16 places and now sits in third position, just five points behind Zimbabwe’s left-arm spinner Ray Price.

Saeed’s rise means that the top four spots are now all occupied by spinners with New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori leading the field and England’s Graeme Swann sitting in fourth position.

Saeed’s jump also means he has now become Pakistan’s highest-ranked bowler with captain Shahid Afridi dropping out of the top 10 after a disappointing series by his high standards. Shahid, who managed just two wickets, has slipped five places to 14th position.

Saeed’s fellow off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez has also improved his ranking after claiming six wickets in the series at 23.50. Hafeez is now on number 27 in the rankings.