He has been banned from top-level cricket for four months, but the International Cricket Council still rates former Australian captain Steve Smith as the best Test batsman in the world.
And David Warner is in fifth place in the ICC rankings, despite copping the same 12-month ban as Smith following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Smith still sits atop the table ahead of India’s Virat Kohli, Joe Root from England, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and then Warner.
The ICC uses a points system to determine the rankings, so Smith’s form prior to the Johannesburg debacle lifted him to 929 points, with Kohli on 903 and Root sitting on 855.
Smith and Warner have recently made their return to cricket in a T20 league in Canada while they wait for their ban to expire, while Warner and fellow suspended batsman Cameron Bancroft are playing in a tournament in Darwin.
Australia is in third place on the Test team rankings, behind India and South Africa, who on Monday lost a series to Sri Lanka.
India, on 125 points, will retain their top ranking regardless of the result of their upcoming series against England.
Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are both in the top 10-ranked Test bowlers at sixth and tenth respectively, with England’s James Anderson topping the table.
Kumar Rahul
Guest
Already Kohli is no 1 in test
Saurebh Gandle
Roar Guru
Smith had his time under the sun but its time real king takes the crown. It could be either of three- Virat,Root or Kane
JayG
Guest
The way the rankings work, I think he loses points every time he misses a match for Australia irrespective of the reasons. He will almost certainly be dethroned ?
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Banned from Test cricket, yet he's still test crickets #1 ranked batsman. Kholi will get his chance to claim the throne this Aus summer.