Maxwell rewarded in rankings update

Glenn Maxwell has been rewarded for a standout Trans-Tasman tri-series in the latest ICC T20I player rankings update, topping the allrounder charts and moving into second among specialist batsmen.

Maxwell was named Player of the Series in Australia’s unbeaten run to the tri-series crown, amassing 233 runs headlined by a match-winning century in Hobart.

The talented Victorian also claimed three wickets and was only dismissed twice in Australia’s midas-like campaign that saw them soar from seventh to second in the overall team rankings. 

The brilliant series saw Maxwell jump five positions on the batting charts, just two points behind New Zealand opener and newly top-ranked batter Colin Munro.

He also overtook Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan to reclaim his position as the premier allrounder in T20 world cricket. 

The rankings rise caps off a rollercoaster international summer for Maxwell. 

Firmly in the mix for a spot in Australia's middle-order ahead of the Magellan Ashes, the 29-year-old was edged out by WA veteran Shaun Marsh for the coveted No.6 spot, only to smash a new first-class high score of 278 one week later against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. 

He was then a surprise omission from Australia’s ODI squad for their 1-4 series loss to England, prompting plenty of debate among pundits and the general public alike as to his standing in Australia's national set-up. 

But the right-hander regained his spot for the final ODI in Perth, before stamping his reputation as one of the most explosive short-form players in the world with a dominant T20I series against England and New Zealand. 

Meanwhile 19-year-old spin prodigy Rashid Khan has continued his stellar start to his international career by becoming the number one ranked T20I bowler in world cricket.

The Afghan leg-spinner last week became the youngest male cricketer to top the ICC rankings when he rose to the joint-first in ODIs alongside India's Jasprit Bumrah.

Five wickets from Afghanistan’s two-match series against Zimbabwe then saw him take top spot in the shortest format, just weeks after securing a lucrative contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

White-ball specialist Andrew Tye also enjoyed a welcome boost, moving up 53 spots to a career-best 49th for his 10-wicket series. 

ICC T20I Rankings - Batsmen (top 10)

Rank      (+/-)         Player                   Team       Pts

   1          (+3)         Colin Munro          NZ           801       

   2          (+5)         Glenn Maxwell     Aus         799       

   3          (-2)          Babar Azam          Pak         786*     

   4          (-2)          Aaron Finch          Aus         763       

   5          (+6)         Martin Guptill        NZ           747       

   6          (-3)          Virat Kohli             Ind          741       

   7          (-2)          Evin Lewis            Win         734*     

   8          (-2)          Lokesh Rahul       Ind          683*     

   9          (-1)          Alex Hales            Eng         679       

  10         (+2)         M. Shahzad          Afg          653       

 

ICC T20I Rankings - Bowlers (top 10)

Rank      (+/-)         Player                    Team     Pts         

   1          (+1)         Rashid Khan         Afg          759!     

   2          (+1)         Ish Sodhi               NZ           700       

   3          (+2)         Samuel Badree    Win         691       

   4          (+3)         Imad Wasim         Pak         677       

   5          (-1)          Jasprit Bumrah    Ind          674       

   6          (-5)          Mitchell Santner   NZ           665       

   7          (+1)         M. Rahman           Ban         656       

   8          (-3)          Imran Tahir           SA           650        

   9          (+2)         Sunil Narine          Win         636     

  10         (-1)          Shakib Al Hasan  Ban         635       

 

ICC T20I Rankings - Allrounders (top 5)

Rank      (+/-)         Player                    Team     Pts         

   1          (+1)         Glenn Maxwell     Aus         390       

   2          (-1)          Shakib Al Hasan  Ban         326     

   3          ( - )          Mohammad Nabi Afg          292!     

   4          ( - )          Marlon Samuels  Win         239       

   5          ( - )          JP Duminy            SA           235       

Qantas tour of South Africa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.

Warm-up match: Australia beat South Africa A by five wickets. Report, highlights

First Test Kingsmead, Durban, March 1-5

Second Test St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, March 9-13

Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3