Dravid, Kumble static at ICC Test rankings

Dubai, June 12 (UNI) Team India skipper Rahul Dravid and veteran leg spinner Anil Kumble retained their eighth and third spots among batsmen and bowlers respectively in the latest LG ICC Test cricket rating issued today.

England spinner Monty Panesar, who took ten wickets to spun England to a 60-run victory in the third Test against the West Indies, jumped 14 places to 12th. He is now closing in on a place in the top ten with team-mate Andrew Flintoff and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar not far above him.

Panesar is now the third ranked slow bowler in the world behind Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and Kumble.

Despite losing the match, there was some consolation for the West Indies. Corey Collymore has moved up two places in the bowling rankings and into the top ten.

The 29-year-old seamer has been a consistent performer and the three wickets he took in the first innings at Old Trafford were enough for him to overtake Flintoff and Akhtar.

There was no other movement in the top ten with Muralitharan still way out in front, South Africa's Makhaya Ntini second and Kumble occupying joint-third spot with Ntini's Proteas team-mate Shaun Pollock.

England's Ryan Sidebottom is enjoying his return to Test cricket and his good form has taken him into the top 50, where he currently lies in 43rd position.

On the batting front, the main movers in the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen were Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies and England's Alistair Cook who both scored a century and half-century apiece at Old Trafford, and both moved up eight places in the rankings as a result.

Chanderpaul holds a slight advantage in 13th position over Cook, who lies in a career-best 14th spot.

Kevin Pietersen retains his third position overall but has just dipped below the 900 ratings point mark. He currently lies behind Australia captain Ricky Ponting in first position and Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf in second.

There is no movement in the top five of the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with Jacques Kallis of South Africa still out in front, followed by Flintoff in second position and Pollock third.

LG ICC Test Player Rankings: Top 10 Batsmen: 1. Ricky Ponting (Aus) 936; 2. Mohd Yousuf (Pak) 915; 3. Kevin Pietersen (Eng) 892; 4. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 857; 5. Mike Hussey (Aus) 842; 6. Matthew Hayden (Aus) 828; 7. Jacques Kallis (SA) 820; 8. Rahul Dravid (Ind) 801; 9. Younis Khan (Pak) 789; 10. Ashwell Prince (SA) 755; Top 10 Bowlers: 1. Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) 913; 2. Makhaya Ntini (SA) 856; 3. Anil Kumble (Ind) 730, Shaun Pollock (SA) 730; 5. Shane Bond (NZ) 722; 6. Stuart Clark (Aus) 720; 7. Mohammad Asif (Pak) 710; 8. Matthew Hoggard (Eng) 701; 9. Corey Collymore (WI) 699; 10. Shoaib Akhtar (Pak) 698; Top 5 All-rounders: 1. Jacques Kallis (SA) 462; 2. Andrew Flintoff (Eng) 392; 3. Shaun Pollock (SA) 356; 4. Daniel Vettori (NZ) 329; 5. Chaminda Vaas (SL) 253 UNI