Amla on the move in test rankings

Posted Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 12:55 © Cricket SA

Hashim Amla has leaped up the ICC test player rankings to No 2 after his phenomenal form with the bat in the recently completed test series against India.

He entered the top 10 for the first time when he made an unbeaten double century in the first test at Nagpur and followed it up with two more centuries in the second test match at Eden Gardens.

His career best ranking of 842 is only 21 points behind the new No 1, Virender Sehwag, who has displaced his Indian opening partner, Gautam Gambhir, at the top of the standings.

Sehwag made centuries in the first innings of both test matches.

Gambhir drops down to No 5, one place ahead of Sachin Tendulkar who also made two centuries in the series while Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith are the next best South Africans at No 8 and No 9.

AB de Villiers (20) is the other South African in the top 20.

Dale Steyn remains the No. 1 bowler and Kallis the No. 1 all-rounder. Other Proteas’ bowlers in the top 20 are Morne Morkel (10th), Makhaya Ntini (11th) and Paul Harris (13th). Amla said he was delighted with his move up the rankings. “It is always nice for your achievements to be recognized but it is more important to get the team to No. 1 than worry about my own personal achievements.”