England International

Andrew Flintoff has rocketed back into the top 10 in the latest Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.

Looking at the statistics for the recent ODI series with South Africa, Flintoff appears at the top of almost every bowling category. He took the most wickets (10) at the lowest average (12.90) with the most niggardly economy rate (4.20) and the most penetrative strike-rate (18.40) of anyone who bowled more than five overs in the series.

His 3-21 in the fourth ODI at Lord's helped to secure a 4-0 lead in the series and third place for England in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship.

After that victory, Kevin Pietersen's team moved ahead of New Zealand by a fraction of a ratings point but rain at Cardiff denied England the chance of sweeping the series and thus moving ahead of the second-placed Proteas in the rankings.

Having moved up five places, Flintoff is now in eighth position in the bowling rankings, just behind Chaminda Vaas in seventh place and Muttiah Muralidaran in sixth.

Staying with the bowlers, Australia's Mitchell Johnson has moved up two places to third in the ODI rankings following strong performances in the first two ODIs against Bangladesh in Darwin.

The 26-year-old Queenslander had combined figures of 5-27 in those matches and now enjoys the highest rating of his career to date but he is still a long way behind Daniel Vettori of New Zealand in second position and Australia's Nathan Bracken at the top.

It's looking good for the state of Australian fast bowling as a third player, Stuart Clark, has also registered his best rating to date. With Brett Lee currently in 10th place, Australia now has four quicks in the top 20.

Clark has risen 12 places into the top 20 for the first time and now sits in joint-19th position, level with Pakistan's Sohail Tanvir, who has benefited from the fact that South Africa's Makhaya Ntini has slipped three places and out of the top 20.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, Michael Hussey is up two places to second position ahead of the injured duo of Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith. Hussey now sits just a single place behind number-one ODI batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni of India.

A player who is making the most of an opportunity afforded to him by a couple of injuries in the Australia camp is Shaun Marsh. The 25-year-old West Australian has scored 145 runs in his two Darwin outings so far and, as a result, has leaped no fewer than 91 places in the batting rankings. He is now sitting in 74th position, just behind the ICC Associate ODI Player of the Year 2007, Thomas Odoyo from Kenya.

In what is bad news for a defeated South Africa team, Jacques Kallis has slipped out of the top five in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders. His place has been taken by Chris Gayle of the West Indies and the list is still headed by that man, Andrew Flintoff.