The group stage of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009, as expected, has provided thrilling, exciting and nail-biting finishes, as well as a couple of heart-breaking results which have caused plenty of reshuffle in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Team and Player Rankings.
Host South Africa, which entered the tournament as the number-one side in the team rankings on 126 ratings points, has slipped to third on 121 ratings points after suffering defeats against Sri Lanka and England which resulted in its elimination from the tournament it won in 1998 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
In contrast, defending champion Australia has regained the top spot on 126 ratings points after recording victories over the West Indies and Pakistan. Former winner India, which also took an early flight home after losing to Pakistan with its match against Australia being washed out, has retained its second position but has conceded two ratings points and now sits on 124.
However, India can regain the coveted number-one spot if sixth-placed England defeats four-time world champion Australia in the first semi-final at Centurion on Friday. Defeat would drop Ricky Ponting's side to 124 ratings points and behind Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side when ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
There will be plenty at stake in the second semi-final when 2000 winner New Zealand goes head to head with Pakistan at The Wanderers on Saturday. A defeat for Younus Khan's men will drop it to 109 ratings points and potentially in sixth place if England upsets Australia.
If Australia beats England and New Zealand defeats Pakistan, the green shirts will slip one place to fifth.
In case of Australia beating England and Pakistan defeating New Zealand, Australia will go to 127 ratings points and Pakistan will rise to 113 ratings points while England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand will be locked on 106 ratings. Nevertheless, England will be in fifth position, Sri Lanka in sixth spot and New Zealand in seventh place after the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings, it is still India first and second with Dhoni leading Yuvraj Singh in the batting table and Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka just ahead of New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori in the bowling chart.
But good performances in the group stage of the ICC Champions Trophy have helped several star players improve upon their rankings and move up the ladder.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, South Africa captain Graeme Smith has rocketed five places to third position after scoring 206 runs while Australia's Mike Hussey is just behind in fourth position after jumping two places to trail second-placed Yuvraj by four points.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is the third leading run-getter to date with 176 runs, has also improved his ranking by four places and he now sits in ninth spot with eighth-placed Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar firmly within his sights.
Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik, who put on 206 runs for the fourth wicket against India, have also made movements in the right direction with Yousuf climbing one place to 13th and Shoaib, who is the second lead run-getter to date with 178 runs, vaulting eight places to 15th.
Other notable batsmen outside the top 20 are England's Paul Collingwood 21st (up by six places) and Owais Shah 30th (up by nine places), New Zealand's Martin Guptill 40th (up by 24 places) and Eoin Morgan of England who has shot 31 places to 43th spot.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, South Africa's Dale Steyn has achieved his career-best ranking to date to assume eighth position. His six wickets in the tournament have helped him rise 14 places to share the position with Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralidaran who has dropped three places.
Also on the charge is England fast bowler Stuart Broad whose 10 wickets to date have helped him jump four places to 14th spot while his team-mate James Anderson has returned to the top 20 in 19th place after his seven wickets have helped him climb 16 places.
In the top 10, New Zealand pair of Kyle Mills and Shane Bond have improved their positions by two places. Mills shares second place with his captain Vettori while Bond is in fifth spot.
Also achieving his career-best ranking is Sri Lanka's magician spinner Ajantha Mendis who is now in seventh position after rising four places.
The only change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for all-rounders is Shahid Afridi who has climbed one place to share fourth spot with Jacob Oram of New Zealand.
Forthcoming matches in the ICC Champions Trophy 2009:
2 Oct - Australia v England, Centurion (d/n)
3 Oct - Pakistan v New Zealand, The Wanderers (d/n)
5 Oct - Final
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