Joe Root moves past Steven Smith to top ICC Test batting ranking
Tuesday 27 October 2015 15:48, UK
England's Joe Root has regained top spot in the ICC Test batting ranking after another impressive display against Pakistan.
The Yorkshireman scored 88 and 71 in England's defeat in Dubai and those runs were enough to lift him above Australia captain Steven Smith.
Smith was recently denied the chance to extend his lead when Australia's two-Test series against Bangladesh was called off because of security concerns.
Root now leads Smith by three points - 913 to 910 - with South Africa's AB De Villiers in third place on 890 ahead of team-mate Hashim Amla.
Pakistan's Younus Khan (854 points) sits in fifth place with England captain Alastair Cook in eighth on 783.
The big mover in the Test bowling ranking is Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who is up to second in the world after taking eight wickets in the win over England.
Shah now has 827 ranking points but is some way adrift of world No 1 Dale Steyn, the South African pace bowler, who has 905 points.
England seam duo James Anderson (824) and Stuart Broad (817) are third and fourth in the bowling ranking.
