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Sometimes ICC player rankings can be quite misleading. Today we will talk about few such bowlers who have been ranking high consistently in the rankings table, but doesn't deserve to be at the top.

1) Vernon Philander (ICC rank 2) - He has taken 106 test wicket in 21 test matches so far at an average of 18.75.This South African medium pace bowlers manages to bowl at a speed of about 28 kph, on average. He rarely swings the bowl. But he doesn't have to be fast nor he needs to swing the ball to achieve higher rankings and pick large number of wickets. The wickets in South Africa does all the work for him. Specially designed wickets are making this mediocre bowler look great, even as everyone knows he has nothing in his armory to trouble the batsmen when he goes abroad, especially in subcontinent.

V.D. Philander

2) Ravichandran Ashwin (ICC rank 10) - With 104 wickets in 19 test matches at an average of 28.50, R Ashwin is one of the fastest spin bowler's to enter the hundred wicket club. While this is exciting for indian cricket, what is disappointing is his inability to take wickets overseas and win India matches. So far what we have seen of him he doesn't look capable enough to take wickets out of subcontinent.

R. Ashwin

3) Tim Southee (ICC rank 9) - This New Zealand medium pace bowler is again a bit of 'green track bully'. He bowls a good channel outside the off stump on green New Zealand pitches. But he lacks speed and his length is just perfect for batsmen to clobber him out of the park if he does not get ready-made assistance from the conditions. Southee has taken 112 wickets in 31 test matches at avg 30.69 for his wickets.

T.G. Southee

4) Saeed Ajmal (ICC rank 5) - He is pakistan's 'off spinner'. But don't get fooled by the introduction. Saeed Ajmal does everything else other than 'off spin'. He has the bowling action which purists were praying that no one will have after Mutthiah Muralitharan of Sri lanka. Ajmal has taken so far 169 wickets in 33 matches at an avg. of 27.46 runs per wickets.

Saeed Ajmal

5) Dale Steyn (ICC rank 1) - This might come as a surprise for most of you. But Dale Steyn is much overrated than one might have thought. He is just an 'outswing' bowler. South African speedster lacks the ability to ball 'inswingers' and struggle to ball to left hand batsmen. 356 wickets in 70 test matches at an average of 22.90 isn't that special, especially when you bowl in South Africa cricket conditions. Also he averages 45 plus when it comes to taking the wickets of left hand batsmen. It's not that he is a poor bowler. In fact he is quite good. But rank 1 is definitely bit too high for a bowler with so many limitations.

Dale Steyn

*Note - The ICC rankings in this article are stated as on Feb 19, 2014. Also I wasn't quite in my full senses while compiling this cricket article.