Aggressive left-arm spinner Ray Price slid five places from third to number eight on the latest Reliance International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankings for one-day internationals (ODIs).
The Reliance ICC Rankings are the official rankings for world cricket governing body the ICC.
Price, who has accumulated 658 points, was displaced by Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson was in brilliant form for his country during ODI series in Sri Lanka where he took 11 wickets in the 3-2 series win.
The 34-year-old Price on the other hand had a subdued recent outing, taking just five wickets in four matches at an average of 33,60 during the just ended five-match ODI series against Bangladesh which the hosts won 3-2.
Three of the wickets only came in the last match, albeit in a losing cause as Zimbabwe lost by 93 runs. Four of the wickets came from Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club, whose conditions were more favourable for spin bowling unlike the Harare Sports Club wicket which was ideal for seam bowling.
At one time, Price rose to second on the world rankings following his performances at the ICC Cricket World Cup where Zimbabwe’s bowling attack was centred on spin bowling.
“I had a goal from when I was about 24 or 25 to be in the top 10. Heath (Streak) did it, and it was one of my goals to beat him because he has always been a kind of hero of mine.
“It is quite a difficult job trying to catch up with Daniel Vettori because he is way up there on the points table. He is a fantastic left-arm spinner who has been playing from when he was really young, and that helps a lot. He has a nice and easy action.
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I have learned a lot from just watching him,” said Price when asked about how he felt about his ranking recently.
The other Zimbabweans in the top hundred are spinner Prosper Utseya, who dropped from 30th to 32nd despite taking six wickets in five matches against Bangladesh.
Seamer Christopher Mpofu was the highest climber from 80th to 62nd while Kyle Jarvis and Brian Vitori are yet to enter the top 100 as they have not played sufficient matches.
Skipper Brendan Taylor remained Zimbabwe’s highest ranked batsman after moving one place up from 38th despite a subdued display in the ODI series in which he scored 123 runs in five matches.
The series’ highest run scorer in the past series with 242 runs, rejuvenated opener Vusi Sibanda, re-entered the top 100 on number 97 while Hamilton Masakadza and Tatenda Taibu were ranked 65th and 60th respectively.
Zimbabwean players will have an opportunity to get more rating points against Pakistan who are expected in the country later this week for a lone Test, three ODIs and two Twenty20 matches.
