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Steve Smith loses top ICC ranking to Kane Williamson

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31st December, 2020
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Steve Smith has lost the top spot in the ICC’s world batting rankings to Kane Williamson, dropping down to No.3 for the first time since returning from his ban.

Smith’s uncharacteristically poor start to the summer has seen him drop to No.3 in the rankings, having scored just 10 runs at 3.33 in the first two Tests against India.

Aside from during his 12-month ban, it marks the first time Smith has dropped out of the world’s top two since way back in November 2015.

He has been in the top spot since February, having held it when cricket was shut down by the pandemic.

Smith has this week spoken about the challenges of hub life, having lived in cricket’s COVID-safe bubble since August.

But his biggest craving remains time in the middle.

He has faced just 68 balls in the first two Tests of this summer, after no red or pink-ball cricket since January.

Smith has been caught around the bat on the legside twice in his three dismissals and bowled leg stump on the other occasion, with Australia confident it’s a tactical and not technical issue.

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“It’s more about the method now,” assistant coach Andrew McDonald said. 

“He’s working hard. He’s clearly hitting the ball well. 

“Technically (both Smith and Marnus Labuschagne) are ready to go. 

“It’s about how they are going to score their runs and how they’re going to combat these tactics from Indian bowlers and captains. 

“There’s a challenge there for Steve to rebound, the world’s best players usually rebound and I think he’s in a really good space to perform come Sydney.”

Williamson is the first player outside of Smith and Virat Kohli to have the top spot in the rankings since the New Zealander held it briefly in 2015.

He earned his way there with 129 against Pakistan after hitting a double-century against the West Indies earlier in December.

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Pat Cummins remains the world’s top-ranked bowler after holding the position since August 2019, while Mitchell Starc has returned to his career-best mark of fifth.

© AAP

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