England’s Adil Rashid becomes world’s No 1 Twenty20 bowler after taking seven wickets and keeping West Indies power-hitters in check… and it’s been 13 years since an Englishman was in top spot

• Leg-spinner Rashid, 35, is the leading wicket-taker in Caribbean series
• His economy rate of 6.43 is England’s best in the series by some distance
• Rashid has overtaken Rashid Khan and Ravi Bishnoi to take the No 1 position 

Adil Rashid has become the world’s No 1-ranked Twenty20 bowler on the back of his strong form on England’s tour of the Caribbean.

Yorkshire’s Rashid is the leading wicket-taker in the series with seven and has also kept West Indies’ big hitters in check, returning an outstanding economy rate of 6.43 – the next best amongst his England team-mates is Reece Topley with 9.2.

The 35-year-old has overtaken two other leg-spinners in Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Ravi Bishnoi, of India, to hit the summit.

Graeme Swann, a World Cup winner with England in 2010, is the only other England bowler to have risen to No 1 in the International Cricket Council’s rankings.

Rashid became the first Englishman to 100 T20 international wickets in the opening match of an enthralling tussle between the sides here that is locked at 2-2 going into Thursday’s decider at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Confirmation of his rise to the top came a day after he surprisingly went unsold during the Indian Premier League auction.

England’s Adil Rashid (second right), seen celebrating a wicket in Grenada, is No 1 in the world

Rashid celebrates with Phil Salt after getting the wicket of Rovman Powell in Tarouba 

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