Bond surges into top ten of ICC Player Rankings

Shane Bond has surged into the top ten of the ICC Player Rankings after continuing his comeback from injury with a successful ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Bond, who is returning to action after a long-term back problem, missed the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy matches against Australia because of a groin strain. But now fit and firing once again, his nine wickets in four matches against Marvan Atapattu's side have lifted him four places to 10th in the bowling list, an ICC statement said.

Bond, the quickest New Zealand bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets (and the eighth quickest of all-time), has only once had a higher tally of rating points than his current mark of 692. That was after taking 2-7 against Pakistan in Dambulla in May 2003, the match where he broke down with the back injury that took two years out of his international career. At that stage he had 711 rating points.

Bond's form with the ball underlined one reason why New Zealand won three of the four matches they played against Sri Lanka over the New Year period -- their bowling. They have five bowlers in the top 30 places of the LG ICC Player Rankings. In addition to Bond, Daniel Vettori is in seventh spot, Kyle Mills is at 15, Jacob Oram appears at 17 and Scott Styris is in 30th position.That contrasts in a very stark way with Sri Lanka's representation in that same list.