Dubai, July 21 : England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has broken back into top 20 batsman while Flintoff has also moved up the bowling rankings. Australia''s Michael Clarke has also been rewarded, but "Mr. Fixit" Michael Hussey slips out of top 20.

Having passed the 5,000-run mark during the match and scoring his 18th Test century, the 32-year-old Strauss has gained seven places in the latest rankings and now occupies 14th position, not far behind the South Africa pair of A B de Villiers in 13th spot and Ashwell Prince in 12th. Strauss’s team-mate Kevin Pietersen slips out of the top
10 following the second Test allowing Protea Jacques Kallis back in.

Within the top 10, Michael Clarke’s heroics in the second innings have been recognised in the latest rankings as he gains two places to sixth position, overtaking his captain Ricky Ponting in the process.

Strauss’s opening partner Alastair Cook has gained three places in the rankings and makes a timely return to the top 20 at the expense of Australia’s Michael Hussey who drops to 22nd place. Cook’s first-wicket partnership of 196 runs with Strauss got England off to a great start in the match.

Another Australian to suffer in the latest rankings is opening batsman Simon Katich who loses three places to 17th position, level with VVS Laxman of India.

The rankings are still headed by India’s Gautam Gambhir, followed by Younus Khan of Pakistan in second place and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara third.

Further down the batting list, it has been a good week for Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, who scored an unbeaten 96 in the second innings leading his side to victory by four wickets over the West Indies in Grenada. Shakib has gained 13 places in the batting rankings and now sits in 43rd position.

Shakib’s bowling performance in the match has also pushed him into the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders. The 22-year-old took match figures of 8-129 and jumps seven places to fourth in the table.

Kallis still leads the all-rounders’ list with Mitchell Johnson of Australia second and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori third.

On the bowling front, England’s Andrew Flintoff has leaped four places to 14th in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers following his man-of-the-match performance at Lord’s.

Having taken the new ball in the second innings, the big Lancastrian took 5-92 as England won by 115 runs giving him a welcome boost in the rankings.

Further down the list, West Indies’ young seamer Kemar Roach gained 20 places to 47th position after his efforts in Greneda. The 21-year-old took 6-42 in the first innings and he now has 13 wickets from just two matches in what is an excellent start to his Test career for the man from Barbados.

The bowling rankings are still led by South Africa’s Dale Steyn with Muttiah Muralidaran of Sri Lanka in second place and Johnson third. (ANI)