Misbah takes 23rd position in ICC Test rankings

KARACHI: Following his outstanding performance in the Test series against India, Pakistani batsman Misbah-ul-Haq has entered into the top-25 of ICC Test rankings for batsmen.

This is a major move as the right-handed middle-order batsman jumped from the 88th position to the 23rd after scoring 464 runs in six innings at an average of 116.

Other big mover is Sourav Ganguly who has entered into the top-20 for the first time in seven years.

The left-hander notched up two centuries, one fifty at an average of 89.00 to earn the Player of the Series award and jump four places to 20th in the ICC list.

However, Pakistan’s vice-captain Younus Khan dropped from seventh to eighth and India’s Sachin Tendulkar dropped a rung to 19th.

On the bowling front, India's Test captain Anil Kumble is relishing his time in charge and the veteran leg-spinner took 18 wickets in the three-Test series to move up two places to fifth in the bolwers list but Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar came down to 10th position.

Meanwhile, pace spearhead Irfan Pathan's maiden Test hundred has pushed him to the sixth spot in the rankings for all-rounders, behind Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka.

At the top, Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara and Australia's Ricky Ponting are sharing the number one position in the rankings for batsmen.

The two are locked on 936 ratings points but Sangakkara has the first chance to move ahead again when Sri Lanka and England take the field for the third and final Test of the series in Galle, starting on Tuesday.

Ponting retains Cricketer of Year

In a year of spectacular success for Australia it was only fitting that Ricky Ponting dominated the awards night in Johannesburg. He was named Player of the Year for the second year in a row, and he also won the Captain of the Year award and was named in both the ODI and the Test teams of the year. His efforts with the bat were outstanding - 576 runs in five Tests at an average of 82.28, an ODI average of 51.52 during the period August 9, 2006 to August 8, 2007 - while as captain he won the three huge series over the last year: the Ashes, the Champions Trophy and the World Cup. Ponting couldn't have asked for much more.

Mohammad Yousuf, whose international career is in doubt after he signed up for the ICL, took the Test Player of the Year award, beating off stiff competition from Muttiah Muralitharan, Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting. Yousuf wasn't in Johannesburg to collect his award, and it remains to be seen if it is his final honour as a Pakistan cricketer.

After being out of the ODI team for 14 months, Matthew Hayden returned in style, scoring 1368 runs in 25 one-day innings to win the ODI Player of the Year award. The other nominees for the award were Jacques Kallis, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting. Hayden had an especially prolific World Cup, scoring three centuries and averaging more than 73 in the Caribbean earlier this year.

Fellow Australian, Shaun Tait, won the Emerging Player of the Year. He beat off competition from Ravi Bopara, Saqib-ul-Hasan and Ross Taylor. Tait, who pulled out of the ICC World Twenty20 through injury, wasn't able to collect his award in person and it was picked up for him by Mike Hussey.

Thomas Odoyo, the Kenya allrounder, carried away the Associate Player of the Year award. This was a new award for 2007 and Odoyo said "it was a great honour" to come out on top against his peers. Odoyo has been a key member of Kenya's one-day and Intercontinental Cup sides for a number of years and gained the award ahead of Ryan ten Doeschate, Ashish Bagai and his captain Steve Tikolo.

In the main surprise of the evening, Indian allrounder Jhulan Goswami won Women Cricketer of the Year. The Australian batsman Lisa Sthalekar had been the favourite after a prolific year with the bat, but it was Goswami's success with bat and ball in Tests and ODIs which swung the balance. She took 20 wickets in 16 ODIs and 10 against England in the second Test which sealed a series win. "It's great that the ICC awards have been given to women's cricket," she said. "Hopefully it will help raise the profile."

Simon Taufel picked up the Umpire of the Year award for the fourth year running, prompting comparisons with Roger Federer, who did the US Open four-in-a-row on Sunday. Asked if he felt like Federer after winning the award, Taufel's response was: "Roger earns a lot more money than I do."

In the year he retired from international cricket and led the World Cup wicket-taking list, Glenn McGrath was named in the One-day International team of the year. Unsurprisingly, in a period where they won the Champions Trophy and World Cup, Australia are well represented with Matthew Hayden and Ponting also named.

Michael Vaughan capped a great return from an injury that nearly ended his career by making it to the Test Team of the Year. In the period under consideration - August 9, 2006 to August 8, 2007 - Vaughan scored 493 runs in five Tests at an average of 61.62, with two glorious centuries against West Indies and India. The side was dominated by Australians again, which wasn't surprising considering the way they have demolished all opposition. Adam Gilchrist missed out, though, with Kumar Sangakkara taking the wicketkeeper's slot.

Sri Lanka have had a fair amount of success over the last year, and the way they play their cricket also won them the Spirit of Cricket award, beating off Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, the three other nominees. Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, said the players realised they were entertainers as well, and tried to play the game in a way which would encourage kids to aspire to be cricketers as well.

ICC Test Team of the Year Matthew Hayden, Michael Vaughan, Ricky Ponting (capt), Mohammad Yousuf, Kevin Pietersen, Michael Hussey, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Stuart Clark, Makhaya Ntini, Mohammad Asif, Muttiah Muralitharan. 12th man: Zaheer Khan.

ICC ODI Team of the Year Matthew Hayden, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher (wk), Chaminda Vaas, Shane Bond, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath. 12th man: Michael Hussey

Ponting in line for ICC's top award

Ricky Ponting could become the first player to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy twice after he was shortlisted with three other players for the ICC's major prize. Ponting will compete with Kevin Pietersen, Mohammad Yousuf and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the Cricketer of the Year award, which will be announced in Johannesburg on Monday.

The four players were selected from an extended list of 12, while the nominations for the Test Player of the Year and ODI Player of the Year have also been cut to four. Ponting is the only man with a chance of winning all three titles, which was a reward for another superb year in which he made 1185 ODI runs at 51.52 and 576 Test runs at 82.28. He also led Australia to triumphs in the World Cup, Champions Trophy and the Ashes.

Pietersen, Yousuf and Muttiah Muralitharan are also up for the Test player award, with Yousuf's record of five centuries and 944 runs at 94.40 from his six Tests making him hard to beat. However, Muralitharan had a stellar year with 43 wickets at 11.60 and Pietersen scored 1255 runs at 57.04.

The ODI title is an Australian-dominated affair with Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Jacques Kallis the four nominees. Hayden's remarkable return to the Australian line-up brought 1368 runs at 62.18, Kallis scored 1149 runs at 60.47, while McGrath enjoyed his farewell year with 50 wickets at 19.34.

The nominations

Cricketer of the Year
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)
Mohammed Yousuf (Pak)

Test Player
Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)

ODI Player
Matthew Hayden (Aus)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Glenn McGrath (Aus)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)

Emerging Player
Ravinder Bopara (Eng)
Shakib Al Hasan (Bang)
Shaun Tait (Aus)
Ross Taylor (NZ)

Captain of the Year
Mahela Jayawardene (SL)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)

Associate ODI Player of the Year
Ashish Bagai (Can)
Thomas Odoyo (Ken)
Ryan ten Doeschate (Neth)
Steve Tikolo (Ken)

Umpire of the Year
Mark Benson
Steve Bucknor
Simon Taufel

Women's Cricketer of the Year
Jhulan Goswami (Ind)
Lisa Sthalekar (Aus)
Claire Taylor (Eng)