Rankings update

The ICC has issued updated individual player rankings. The biggest mover in recent weeks for New Zealand has been Dan Vettori. His performances in Australia have seen him rise to the 3rd best ODI bowler in the world (after Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath). Shane Bond is at 10 and Kyle Mills is at 14, while Jacob Oram has slumped to 25th (his batting form might be great, but his bowling in Australia has really been rubbish so far) and James Franklin to 51st.

Interestingly Kenya has two pace men in the top 40. The side is currently carving a swathe through the World Cup qualifying tournament and may well prove that its semi-final placing in the 2003 World Cup was no fluke. Kenya are in New Zealand's group during the pool stages of the 2007 World Cup so we should probably keep an eye on them.

In the batting charts you have to go as far as 29 before you find a New Zealander - and that is out of form captain Stephen Fleming. The recently retired Nathan Astle is next at 37. Scott Styris follows at 43 and Craig McMillan is at 47. Jacob Oram's stunning form has only seen him rise to 53rd (which is still a career high) while Brendon McCullum and Peter Fulton follow at 58 and 59 respectively. Ross Taylor is still in the "restricted" phase of his rankings career (because rankings reflect form over a period of time, new players have their rankings dampened to prevent them from sky-rocketing on the basis of a few good scores), but he has still managed to leap-frog Hamish Marsall and hits the charts at 65.