LARALONDON, England, (CMC):
Triple world batting record holder Brian Lara has slipped one place down to number three in the latest LG ICC World Batting Rankings released yesterday.
The ratings, revised when the Ahmedabad third Test between Sri Lanka and India ended Thursday, shows the Australian captain climbing one place to the number two spot, displacing the West Indies star Lara, who had another record-breaking year adding the all-time leading scorer label to the individual Test (400 not out) and first-class (501 not out) world records he already holds.
South African Jacques Kallis remains the world's number one batsman and Pakistan's captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is rated fourth, ahead of India's Rahul Dravid.
Australian Matthew Hayden is up one place to number six.
There is only one other West Indies batsman in the world's top-15, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, holding steady at 13th, while Chris Gayle (27th) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (28th) are just inside the top 30.
Australia's veteran pacer Glenn McGrath retained the top spot in the bowling ratings ahead of his teammate Shane Warne and the Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
Pacers Shoaib Akhtar (Pakis-tan) and Makhaya Ntini (South Africa) are joint fourth and England's Andrew Flintoff moved two places up to number six.
There are only two West Indies bowlers in the top-30, Corey Collymore, at 21st and his Barbadian teammate Pedro Collins (28th).
WORLD RANKINGS
Batting:
1 Jacques Kallis (SA)
2 Ricky Ponting (AUS)
3 Brian Lara (WI)
4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK)
5 Rahul Dravid (IND)
6 Matthew Hayden (AUS)
7 Virender Sehwag (IND)
8 Marcus Trescothick (ENG)
9 Sachin Tendulkar (IND)
10 Mohammad Yousuf (PAK)
Bowling:
1 Glenn McGrath (AUS)
2 Shane Warne (AUS)
3 Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
4 Shoaib Akhtar (PAK)
4 Makhaya Ntini (SA)
6 Andrew Flintoff (ENG)
7 Shaun Pollock (SA)
8 Chaminda Vaas (SL)
9 Anil Kumble (IND)
10 Irfan Pathan (IND).
