'We've reached that consistency level to be ranked no.1'

Criticised for maintaining a stoic silence on the IPL spot-fixing scandal, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that the number one ranking in the ODIs brings with it certain respect in the way the players "conduct themselves" on the field. 

"Being number-one in the world brings with it a certain respect for the game itself and for the way in which we play the game and conduct ourselves on the field," Dhoni said after winning the ICC ODI Shield. 

In a simple ceremony at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff, former ICC president David Morgan presented Dhoni a silver salver and a cheque for USD 175,000.

The brief ceremony took place a few metres away from where the Indians were training ahead of tomorrow's warm-up match against Australia in Cardiff.

"I am very proud of this huge achievement, as being number-one is a reward for all of us, but hopefully it is just the beginning.

"You have to be consistent to be ranked number-one and I think we have reached that level of consistency over a period of time. We have performed very well and I am very proud of what the guys have achieved," said Dhoni. 

Ahead of the team's departure for the Champions Trophy in England, Dhoni kept mum on the spot fixing scandal even in the face of repeated questions from journalists during a press conference in Mumbai.  

This is the first time since the current ranking system was introduced in 2002 that India have finished as the number-one ranked ODI side on April 1 cut-off date.

India had claimed the number-one spot from England after winning the series 3-2 in January, and, in the 12-month period between April 1, 2012 and April 1, 2013, they won eight out of 13 ODIs while losing five ODIs.