Stuart Broad found himself ranked as the number one Test bowler in the world after leading England to victory over South Africa in Johannesburg.
Broad’s best overseas innings figures of six for 17, including a spell of five for one in 31 balls on Saturday saw England to a series-clinching win.
The England paceman’s haul saw him replace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, who didn’t play at the Wanderers because of injury, into top spot.
Stephen Harmison was the last England bowler to get to the top of the International Cricket Council rankings, in 2004, with Ian Botham also achieving the number one spot back in 1980.
Broad now sits on 880 points and leads Ashwin by nine points.
England’s win knocked South Africa off the top of the Test team rankings, with their place being taken by India.
Joe Root’s 110 at the Wanderers saw him return to second place in the Test batting rankings, above New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and South Africa’s AB de Villiers, but with Australia captain Steven Smith still on top.
Leading ICC Test player as on January 17 after the Johannesburg Test (rank, change in ranking, player, team, points, highest rating):
Batting
| 1 (-) Steve Smith | AUS 899 57.90 936 v ENG, Lord’s | 2015 |
| 2 (+2) Joe Root | ENG 891 55.16 917 v AUS, Trent Bridge | 2015 |
| 3 (-1) Kane Williamson | NZL 889 49.93 893 v AUS, Perth | 2015 |
| 4 (-1) AB de Villiers | RSA 863 51.10 935 v AUS, Port Elizabeth | 2014 |
| 5 (-) David Warner | AUS 854 51.34 880 v NZL, Perth | 2015 |
| 6 (-) Younus Khan | PAK 826 53.94 880 v SRI, Lahore | 2009 |
| 7 (+1) Angelo Mathews | SRI 808 50.18 877 v NZL, Christchurch | 2014 |
| 8 (-1) Hashim Amla | RSA 803 50.73 907 v PAK, Abu Dhabi | 2013 |
| 9 (-) Misbah-ul-Haq | PAK 764 48.89 842 v NZL, Abu Dhabi | 2014 |
| 10= (-) Ajinkya Rahane | IND 753 44.97 753 v RSA, Delhi | 2015 |
| (-) Adam Voges | AUS 753 85.66 753 v WIS, Sydney | 2016 |
Bowling
| 1 (+2) Stuart Broad | ENG 880 28.54 880 v RSA, Johannesburg | 2016 |
| 2 (-1) Ravi Ashwin | IND 871 25.39 871 v RSA, Delhi | 2015 |
| 3 (-1) Dale Steyn | RSA 850 22.53 909 v WIS, Centurion | 2014 |
| 4 (-) Yasir Shah | PAK 846 24.17 846 v ENG, Sharjah | 2015 |
| 5 (-) James Anderson | ENG 810 29.13 847 v WIS, Barbados | 2015 |
| 6 (-) Ravindra Jadeja | IND 789 23.76 789 v RSA, Delhi | 2015 |
| 7 (-) Trent Boult | NZL 787 28.28 825 v ENG, Lord’s | 2015 |
| 8 (-) Josh Hazlewood | AUS 741 24.54 792 v WIS, Hobart | 2015 |
| 9 (-) Tim Southee | NZL 731 31.47 799 v WIS, Jamaica | 2014 |
| 10 (-1) Vernon Philander | RSA 724 22.08 912 v IND, Johannesburg | 2013 |
