Tsotsobe rises to career-best ranking

Despite playing only one match at the Cricket World Cup, South African fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe did enough in that outing to rise to a career-best sixth position in the latest International Cricket Council one day international (ODI) rankings.

Tsotsobe returned 3/14, paving the way as South Africa bowled out Bangladesh for 78 runs in their final group stage match, in his only game of the tournament.

Nonetheless, the left-arm seamer rose one place to share sixth position with Abdur Razzak of Bangladesh in the ODI rankings for bowlers released on Monday.

Speedster Dale Steyn remains the highest ranked Proteas bowler at No 4, followed by Morne Morkel at number five and Tsotsobe at number six.

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers remain the two top ranked ODI batsmen and are the only two with a ranking of more than 800 points.

Jacques Kallis has improved three positions to number 12 in the rankings for batsmen. He is also the fifth-ranked all-rounder.

In the team rankings the Proteas remain at number four but are within striking distance of second-placed India and third-placed Sri Lanka.

India’s World Cup triumph has reduced the gap between themselves and top-ranked Australia to seven points.—Sapa