Tahir claims No 1 ODI spot

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PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 28: Imran Tahir of South Africa during the 1st One Day International match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at St Georges Park on January 28, 2017 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (Photo by Richard Huggard/Gallo Images)

Imran Tahir has become the No 1 ODI bowler in the world. 

The leg-spinner replaced New Zealand speedster Trent Boult and West Indies spinner Sunil Narine to attain the summit of the ICC rankings, after taking 10 wickets in five matches at an average of 20.60.

Kagiso Rabada is the only other South African in the top 10 of the bowler rankings and sits at No 7.

Faf du Plessis also achieved a career-high rank in ODIs. He climbed seven places to No 4 in the batting rankings after scoring 410 runs, including two centuries and a fifty in five innings against Sri Lanka, at an average of 102 and strike rate of 105. Other players ranked in the top 10 are Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla, who occupy No 5 and 7, and AB de Villiers who remains at No 2.

With the Proteas claiming the ODI series 5-0, they are now the No 1 team in the ICC rankings, overtaking Australia. The Aussies helped the cause when they lost 2-0 to New Zealand in the Chappell-Hadlee Series.

Imran Tahir also holds the No 1 spot in the ICC T20 bowling rankings.