BANGLADESH CLEAN-SWEEP SEES GAP CLOSE WITH NEW ZEALAND AND WEST INDIES

BANGLADESH CLEAN-SWEEP SEES GAP CLOSE WITH NEW ZEALAND AND WEST INDIES

Bangladesh has opened up a 22-point lead over Zimbabwe in the latest Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings after sealing a 5-0 series sweep with a five-wicket victory in Mirpur on Monday.

Ninth-placed Bangladesh has now closed the gap with New Zealand and West Indies, who each have 96 points, to 21 points.

Ahead of the series, neither side had an opportunity to progress up the rankings, however, Bangladesh’s clean sweep means that it has gained ground ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which commences on 14 February

Meanwhile, in the Reliance ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan has moved up four places to joint fifth alongside Australia’s Mitchell Johnson after claiming 11 wickets in the series for 136 runs. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has also moved up nine places to 21st after his nine-wicket haul in the five matches, while Arafat Sunny has moved 22 places to 74th.

Zimbabwe’s highest-ranked bowler is Tendai Chitara who has climbed to a career-high 48th place after taking six wickets for 189 run in four matches.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor has moved up three places to 28th after hitting two half-centuries in the series, 54 and 63, in the first and fourth ODI’s respectively.

Rival wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim has risen four places to a career-high joint 33rdafter scores of 65, 27, 33, 77 and 11, while his team-mate Mahmudullah, who is the highest mover in the latest batting rankings, has vaulted14 places to 62nd after recovering from a slow start to finish undefeated in each of his last three innings of the series with scores of 33 not out, 82 not out and 51 not out.

Shakib has retained his third place position in the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankingsfor ODI All-rounders, with Angelo Mathews still in top spot whose Sri Lanka side is currently leading England 2-0 in a seven-match series. The third ODI will be played in Hambantota on Wednesday.