ISLAMABAD – India and England managed to retain top spots in the Test andODI team rankings respectively, following the annual update of the ICCrankings on Thursday.
The rankings were updated after series results from 2015-16 were removed,and outcomes from 2016-17 and 2017-18 are weighted at 50 per cent, an ICCstatement read. England are the number one ranked ODI team with less than amonth to go for the 2019 World Cup, but India have managed to narrow thegap to just two points. India’s lead over second-placed New Zealand in theTest rankings has narrowed from eight to two points.
India were on 116 points and New Zealand on 108 before the update but ViratKohli-led side’s 3-0 win over South Africa and 2-1 win in Sri Lanka beingpurged as part of the 2015-16 season sees them losing three points whileNew Zealand’s two 2-0 defeats to Australia being removed sees them gainthree points. In the only change of positions on the table, England haveovertaken Australia to fourth position and are on 105 points. Australia areon 98 points after dropping six points as they had won four of the fiveseries in 2015-16, no more part of the calculations.
In another significant movement, the gap between seventh-placed Pakistanand eighth-placed West Indies has trimmed from 11 to two points.In the ODIrankings, England have retained the top spot, but to go into the World Cupas the top-ranked side, they will need to beat Ireland in an upcomingone-off ODI and then beat Pakistan 3-2 or better in a home series, or loseto Ireland but then beat Pakistan 4-1 or better.
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South Africa have overtaken New Zealand into third position while anotherchange in positions sees the West Indies moving ahead of Sri Lanka toseventh place.No team has dropped out of the top 10, thus ensuring that theWorld Cup will see the 10 top-ranked sides in action.
Three of the four teams awarded ODI status at the end of the World CricketLeague Division 2 will join the rankings once they have played therequisite eight qualifying matches.However, Papua New Guinea has joined therankings immediately having played several ODIs prior to April 2018.TheNetherlands, who already had ODI status, will need to play two more ODIs toachieve a ranking.
