Herath delighted over career best ratings

BBC: Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath who has moved up the ICC Test rankings to fifth says he is delighted to be awarded for his performance in two -Test series against England.

Herath who took 6-133 and 1-37 in the second Test and adjudged man of the match after securing 12 wickets moved up to fifth, from seventh, with a career best rating of 769.

 “Definitely I am really happy to be move up to fifth from the seventh place within six days,” he told BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya.

 “But my aim is to bowl much better to help the team win matches and keep improving myself than staying in the seventh or fifth position,” he added.

The series was drawn after England, with Kevin Pieterson coming back to form with a 151, won the second Test in P Sara stadium in Colombo after Sri Lanka secured the first ever home win in the first Test in Galle.

Though he was sad that Sri Lanka lost the second Test, said Rangana Herath, he is still proud that his contribution helped the team to defeat the world’s best Test team in Galle.

Herath also said Sri Lanka have a bigger advantage of winning the world title in upcoming Twenty20 World Cup when Sri Lanka host the tournament in September.

Despite losing the Test there was also a career-best rating for another Sri Lanka player, Angelo Mathews, who scored 57 and 46 to climb five places to 30th in the table and claim 586 ratings points.

Sri Lanka’s former captain Kumar Sangakkara, who was ranked No.1 before the series, was dropped one place to fifth, and is overtaken in fourth place by Pakistan’s Younus Khan.