Pathan waiting to break into top-10 list

DUBAI: Irfan Pathan gained two spots to reach in the striking distance of the top 10 Test bowlers list while also joining the top three among all-rounders in the latest ICC rankings.

Pathan is just one spot shy of breaking into the top 10, which has only one Indian in leg spinner Anil Kumble climbed one place up to be ninth.

The Baroda player is third among the all-rounders behind South African Jacque Kallis and England's Andrew Flintoff, displacing Daniel Vettori of New Zealand.

In the batting department, New Zealand's Stephen Fleming, whose 262 was one of the major highlights of the drawn second Test against South Africa in Cape Town, has moved back into the top 20.

The Black Caps captain has jumped ten places to 14th in the list, his highest placing since 1997, the year he took charge of the team.

Fleming is not the only New Zealand batsman making progress up the batting list as James Franklin, who made his maiden Test hundred in Cape Town, is up 18 places to 101st position.

Like New Zealand, South Africa has just one player among the top 20 batsmen Jacques Kallis. He remains in second position behind Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

Ashwell Prince, who made his fourth Test hundred during the Newlands match, is up 18 places to 41st while Hashim Amla, whose 149 was his first three-figure score at the highest level, rises 64 places to 104th.