17 February 2025 last updated at 12:00 GMT
 
Swann is world's No. 1 ODI bowler
Thursday 01 January 1970

England off-spinner Graeme Swann on Sunday replaced New Zealand's left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori as the world's number one ODI bowler. Swann achieved this milestone for the first time in his career after his eight-wicket haul helped England to a 3-2 series win against Sri Lanka.

The 32-year-old claimed series figures of 8-164 against the visiting Lankan team to dethrone Vettori, who had held the spot since September 2009 in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.

Swann is also ranked number two in Test cricket, behind South Africa's Dale Steyn.  His number one ODI ranking is the first time an England bowler has achieved in any form of the game since Steve Harmison's brief rose to the top of the Test rankings in August 2004.

India's off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is at ninth place in the ODI bowling chart while Swann's team-mate James Anderson has risen impressively up the rankings, gaining 17 places to 11th spot.

In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, India's middle-order batsman Virat Kohli and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni are at the 6th and 8th positions respectively.

The batting chart is still topped by the South African duo of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers with Australia's Shane Watson in third.

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara moves up one place to fourth but his captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan has dropped six places after a wretched series with the bat to sit joint ninth with Australia captain Michael Clarke.

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