ICC to rank top women cricketers

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will launch a one-day internationals player ranking system in October.

The first set of ratings will initially apply to ODI cricket only and England players are expected to feature highly.

The scheme begins five months ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup in March and the ICC World Twenty20 next June.

England captain Charlotte Edwards has backed the development of the rankings, calling it “another positive step forward for our game.”

She went on: “The rankings will help bring a new level of interest to the sport and that can only be a good thing.

“I have played international cricket for over a decade now and I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be involved in the women’s game.

“We have two major international events next year and we need to make sure women’s cricket uses them to raise the profile of the game to a new audience and promote some of the stars in international cricket.”

England players such as captain Edwards, and fellow batsman Claire Taylor, who played her 100th ODI on Thursday, and seam bowlers Isa Guha and Sarah Taylor are all likely to be close to the top of the list.

Guha, one of the key figures of the England team during their impressive Ashes win at the start of the year, said: “It will be great to have a rankings system that provides a definitive guide to who the game’s leading players are.”

The announcement came as England looked to take a 3-0 lead in the series against India at Taunton on Thursday. They are riding high after winning the first two series of the summer against West Indies and South Africa.