Mustafizur on an all-time high

Bangladesh pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman moved up to a career-best 18th in the ICC Players Rankings for ODI bowlers, informed an ICC press release issued yesterday.

The left-arm pacer, dubbed the cutter master for his slower-ball variations that have flummoxed batsmen the world over, has taken six wickets in the tri-series in Ireland that included a four-wicket haul against the home side in their third game that Bangladesh won by eight wickets on May 19. With one game still to go against New Zealand, against whom he took two wickets, on May 24 he has the chance to move further.

The 22-year-old, who has shown that he is getting his pace and rhythm back in the tournament after recovering from shoulder operation, is now placed just beneath South African quick Dale Steyn with 583 points. In his 17 ODIs since June 2015 he has taken 42 wickets at an average of 15.28.

Bangladesh opener Soumya Sarkar has also moved up seven places to 27th after scoring two half centuries in the tournament.

Meanwhile, according to the ICC rankings predictor Bangladesh can clinch the sixth position in the ICC rankings if they beat New Zealand in the last match of the tri-series tomorrow. They will gain two ranking points to go level with Sri Lanka on 93 and it will help them in their qualification bid for the 2019 ICC World Cup as hosts England and seven other top-ranked sides gain direct places on 30 September 2017. Losing the match, however, will see them lose a point and sit just two clear of eighth-placed Pakistan.