DUBAI – The ICC on Friday included Nepal, Netherlands, Scotland and the UAEin their ODI rankings list apart from the 12 existing countries.
The ICC release states that results of all the bilateral ODIs involvingthese new teams will henceforth be taken into account while calculating therating points.
The Netherlands secured ODI status and a place in the 13-team ODI league bywinning the ICC World Cricket League Championship last year, whileScotland, Nepal and the UAE earned ODI status by finishing as the threeleading associates (along with the Dutch) in the ICC Cricket World CupQualifier 2018.
Scotland have been ranked in 13th on 28 points – 10 points behind 12thranked Ireland – while the UAE are another 10 points behind on 18 in 14thposition.
The Netherlands have 13 rating points.
Nepal and the Netherlands will need to play four matches more in order toget into the table. “Teams earn points from each match they play againstopposition with an ODI rating. Points and matches played between May 1,2015, and April 30, 2017, will be weighted at 50 per cent, whereas matchesplayed after May 1, 2017, will be weighted at 100 per cent.
“The positions of the 12 Test playing countries, who were already on thetable, are not affected by the introduction of these new teams on thetable,” the release said.
The table is headed by England, who will host next year’s ICC Cricket WorldCup. India are ranked second, three points behind England, while ICCChampions Trophy winners Pakistan are in sixth place.
The initial rankings for the four new teams are based on all ODIs playedsince May 2015 by Scotland and the UAE against Full Members and againsteach other; Non-ODIs played by the Netherlands and Nepal against FullMembers, Scotland and the UAE as part of the ICC World Cup Qualifyingtournament 2018.