DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC:

West Indies captain Chris Gayle is back as No.1 in the International Cricket Council (ICC) One-Day International (ODI) batting rankings, ironically giving the struggling West Indians the top batting spot in both forms of the international game.

After his commanding century against New Zealand in Napier this week, Gayle has jumped five places up the rankings list and joins his teammate Shivnarine Chanderpaul as a current world leader in cricket's batting ratings.

Chanderpaul has been No. 1 in ICC's Test batting rankings since July last year, but as a team, the Windies continue to wallow among the worst in the sport.

Minnows

They are rated seventh of the nine ranked Test teams and they are also in the bottom half of the ODI list - eighth of the 12 teams that are ranked, with only minnows Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Kenya below them.

After smashing 135 off 129 balls with nine fours and five sixes in the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand on Tuesday, Gayle reclaims the ODI top rating, a position the big Jamaican left-hander previously held in 2004.

The latest rankings update shows West Indians keeping their two Top-10 spots in batting, with Chanderpaul steady at No. 4.

The surge by Gayle knocked India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australia's Michael Hussey down to second and third place, respectively.

All-rounders' list

The South Africa captain Graeme Smith has slipped two places to No. 5 and he is followed by India's Yuvraj Singh and Australia's captain Ricky Ponting, with England's Kevin Pietersen at No. 8.

There is only one other West Indies batsman in the Top-20, Ramnaresh Sarwan at No. 13.

Coming off the tight 1-2 series loss to the Black Caps, Gayle would have some further consolation by his rise on the all-rounders' list as well.

A former ODI No. 1 all-rounder, Gayle is now up one place to fourth, behind leader Jacob Oram, of New Zealand and England's Andrew Flintoff. Pakistan's Shoaib Malik is No. 3. His climb relegated South African Jacques Kallis to No. 5.

Meanwhile, Jerome Taylor, at joint 10th, is the only West Indian in the ODI's bowling Top-10.

Taylor shares 10th with India's Zaheer Khan on the bowlers' list, which is headed by Nathan Bracken. The Australian pacer has displaced New Zealand's captain Daniel Vettori at the top.

Vettori had briefly reached the pinnacle after a good start to the ODI series with the West Indies, but his figures of none for 45 in the final match in Napier relegated him by the narrowest of margins.

In at No. 17 is Daren Powell, the only other Caribbean player in the bowling Top-20.