Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: ICC World Cup 2015 finalists Australia and New Zealand have retained the top two positions on the ICC ODI Team Rankings. “Results from 2012-13 have been dropped, while results from 2014-15 have been reduced to a weighting of 50 percent,” said a press release of the ICC on Wednesday. Australia, who won their fifth World Cup title in Melbourne last year, are now sitting on 124 points after dropping two points to lead New Zealand by 11 points. South Africa have swapped places with India to move into third position, while the West Indies have exchanged places with Pakistan to push the 1992 World Cup winners out of the top eight. Since 2014, Pakistan have managed to win just three out of the ten ODI series they played, with victories coming against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka last year while they were eliminated from the 2015 World Cup in after losing to Australia in the quarter-final. Pakistan’s famous 3-0 ODI debacle against Bangladesh also took place in this duration after Azhar Ali replaced veteran Misbahul Haq as the ODI captain following the World Cup exit.

Other sides to gain following the annual update include sixth-ranked England (103, up two), seventh-ranked Bangladesh (98, up one), eighth-ranked West Indies (88, up two), 10th-ranked Afghanistan (51, up four) and 11th-ranked Zimbabwe (47, up two). A significant date on the ICC events calendar is September 30, 2017, which is the rankings cut-off date for the ICC World Cup 2019. The hosts, England, and the seven next highest-ranked sides on the ICC ODI Team Rankings on September 30, 2017 will qualify directly for cricket’s biggest event, while the bottom four ODI ranked sides will join the top sides from the ICC World Cricket League in the ICC World Cup Qualifier 2018 to fight for the two remaining positions.

Although there will be another ODI team rankings annual update prior to this cut-off date, it is significant that from now on the results of all ODIs that will affect qualification will be weighted at 100 per cent whereas matches played between May 2014 and April 2016 will by then be weighted at only 50 per cent. All the teams bunched together in the middle of the table will have to win as many matches as possible in the forthcoming season, knowing it will help ensure direct qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which will be staged from May 30 to July 15 in the United Kingdom.

In the T20I, ICC World Twenty20 2016 semi-finalists New Zealand have stormed up the chart to claim number-one position for the first time. Kane Williamson’s side have gained 12 points and have consequently vaulted two places to join India on 132 points. However, when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point, then New Zealand are ahead of Dhoni’s side by +0.21. ICC World Twenty20 2016 champions West Indies have slipped to third after conceding three points. The main reason for the West Indies’ slip is that their results from the 2012-13 season, which includes victory in the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012, have now been dropped. The West Indies now lead fourth-ranked South Africa by three points, who have broken away from England.