Saurav Ganguly Tops Season's Pepsi Ratings (16 Jul 1996)

15 July 1996

Saurav Ganguly tops season`s Pepsi ratings

Saurav Ganguly, a new entrant to Test cricket who scored centuries at Lord`s and Trent Bridge in England, tops the season`s Pepsi ratings for the 1996-97 season.

Ganguly has already fulfilled the basic criterion of 100 runs and he rates 9,548 points on the weighted system. Jimmy Adams and Sherwin Campbell of the West Indies are second and third, Sachin Tendulkar, who scored centuries at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge against England, is fourth.

England`s Allan Mullally with 8,166 points, heads the current season`s ratings for Test bowlers and his pace colleague Chris Lewis is second. Venkatesh Prasad, who made his Test debut in the recently concluded series in England, and his fellow opening bowler Javagal Srinath are third and fourth.

Rapid changes can be expected in the season`s Test ratings with Pakistan playing England in England before the season swings to a heavy schedule around the cricket world in October-November.

Brian Lara continues to head the overall Pepsi world cricket ratings (minimum qualification 1,000 runs) with 6,195 points. Jimmy Adams is second with 6,548 points. Of the Indian Test batsmen who figure in the year`s ratings, Vinod Kambli (5,203) is third, Sachin Tendulkar (5,187) fifth and Mohammad Azharuddin (4,539) 14th.

Pakistan`s Waqar Younis, who gets ready to spearhead his country`s attack in England, tops the overall ratings for Test bowlers (minimum qualification: 30 wickets). Ian Bishop of the West Indies, with 7,987 points, is second just seven points away. Heath Streak of Zimbabwe, Narendra Hirwani of India and Curtly Ambrose of the West Indies and Wasim Akram follow Younis in that order. Shane Warne of Australia lies seventh in the overall ratings.

Source :: Rediff On The NeT (https://www.rediff.co.in)