Smith snatches top spot from Sachin

The left-hander was placed third in the rankings going into the three-match series against the minnows, but an aggregate of 199 runs not only won him the Player of the Series award but also earned him 39 ratings points which were enough for him to leapfrog Tendulkar as well as Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who was placed second.

Smith is ranked 14th in the Test rankings and would like to lead from the front when the Proteas start a three-Test tour of India later this month.

Tendulkar's stint at the top of the batting charts lasted less than two weeks. The 35-year-old had climbed to the top following his two match winning performances in the tri-series finals against Australia, which had pushed Ponting into second place.

India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni held on to his 10th spot, while Yuvraj Singh is 17th.

The positions are unlikely to change for another couple of months before Australia goes head-to-head with the West Indies in the five-match ODI starting in Kingston on June 21.

South African AB de Villiers is the other batsman from his team in the top 10 after he jumped six places to ninth position.