This past weekend, the English emphatically claimed the number-one ranking in the Reliance International Cricket Council Test Championship table for the first time in 32 years after winning the Edgbaston Test by an innings and 242 runs which has also given it an impregnable 3-0 lead in the four-Test series.
England had last surged to the top of the Test rankings in February 1979 when the then number-one ranked West Indies lost a six-Test series in India by 1-0. However, the West Indies bounced back five months later to beat England by 1-0 in a five-Test series to reclaim the number-one ranking.
Prior to this and since the 1950s, England had twice achieved number-one rankings – from 1955 to 1959 and then from 1970 to 1973. In contrast, India had achieved the number-one ranking on 6 December 2009 after beating Sri Lanka 2-0 in the three-Test series.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, singled out Zimbabwean Flower for praise after England’s change of fortunes.
“On behalf of the ICC, I would like to congratulate Andy Flower and his team for becoming the number-one ranked Test team in the world. I know they were determined to be number-one and through careful planning and a series of clinical performances, they have deservedly achieved their goal.
They were clearly the most consistent side in the world over the past few years as evidenced by their 19 out of 30 Test wins and only four loses. This achievement is just reward for the hard work from all the players and team management and they no doubt will celebrate being on top of the world,” he said in a statement.
Flower was Zimbabwe's wicketkeeper for more than ten years and statistically is by far the finest batsman the country has fielded.
Nearing the end of his career, he achieved international recognition along with teammate Henry Olonga in 2003 by wearing a black armband in a Cricket World Cup match to protest against the policies of Zimbabwe's government, led by President Robert Mugabe. He was appointed director of coaching of the English side in 2009.
Post published in: Cricket