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Travis Head, Steve Smith demoted; Harry Brook moves to second in latest ICC rankings

Debashis Sarangi

Travis Head and Harry Brook in Ashes [Source: AFP]Travis Head and Harry Brook in Ashes [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, the ICC released the updated player rankings on Wednesday. While Travis Head and Steve Smith were demoted, English batting sensation Harry Brook made significant progress, finishing the week as the second-ranked batter in Test cricket. 

Travis Head, Steve Smith slip in ICC Test rankings

Swashbuckling Australian batter Travis Head and his teammate Steve Smith didn't have a great outing in the fourth Ashes Test against England at the MCG. While Head could score only 58 runs, Smith managed 33 runs across both innings of the Test match. 

Their underwhelming performance in the Boxing Day Test resulted in Head and Smith's demotion in the ICC batters' rankings. Head slipped to the fourth position, with Smith moving two spots down to the fifth place in the updated ICC rankings. 

Harry Brook rewarded in ICC rankings following MCG heroics

On the other hand, England's explosive batter Harry Brook moved up in the ICC Test rankings following his impactful performance in the Melbourne Test. Brook struck 41 runs off just 34 balls in the second innings, powering the Englishmen to a historic win in the Boxing Day Test. 

He moved three places up to the second position below the top-ranked Joe Root with 846 rating points under his belt. 

Josh Tongue among biggest movers in bowlers' chart

Young England pacer Josh Tongue played a significant role in his side's clinical four-wicket victory against Australia in the Melbourne Test. Tongue rattled Australia by picking up seven wickets, including a sensational five-wicket haul in the first innings. 

The right-arm seamer's incredible outing at MCG helped him earn crucial rating points and move 13 rungs up to the 30th in the ICC Test bowlers' rankings. Apart from Tongue, Mitchell Starc (one spot up to joint 2nd), Scott Boland (2 positions up to 7th), Gus Atkinson (4 places up to joint 13th), and Brydon Carse (6 spots up to 23rd) made notable gains among the Ashes rivals.