Australia retain top position in ICC Men’s ODI team rankings

DUBAI: Australia have retained their position at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings following the annual update that drops results from the 2019-20 season and reflects all matches completed since May 2020.

Australia are two rating points clear of Pakistan at 118 points after the update, which weights matches completed prior to May 2022 at 50 percent and subsequent matches at 100 percent.

Pakistan, who had grabbed the number one position briefly on May 5 before losing the final ODI of their five-match home series to New Zealand and slipping back behind Australia, are on 116 points, one more than India.

Pakistan would have remained at the top of the ODI rankings even after the annual update had they completed a 5-0 sweep in the series against New Zealand.

An interesting battle at the top of the rankings is imminent in the year of the World Cup as only three points separate Australia, Pakistan and India, who are comfortably ahead of the others in the 20-team table.

The matches dropping out of the rankings include the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. England and New Zealand, who played an epic final at Lord’s four years ago, have both lost points in the annual update.

New Zealand are in fourth position but 11 points behind India at 104 after losing four points over the cycle. England, who will defend their World Cup title in India this year, have lost 10 points and are in fifth position with 101 points.

South Africa and Bangladesh retain sixth and seventh positions, respectively, while Afghanistan have overtaken former World champions Sri Lanka and the West Indies to grab eighth position.

The top eight are the teams to have qualified directly for this year’s World Cup.

ODI rankings: 1. Australia 118 rating points, 2. Pakistan 116, 3. India 115, 4. New Zealand 104, 5. England 101, 6. South Africa 101, 7. Bangladesh 97, 8. Afghanistan 88, 9. Sri Lanka 80, 10. West Indies 72, 11. Zimbabwe 51, 12. Ireland 47, 13. Scotland 46, 14. Nepal 37, 15. USA 35, 16. Namibia 29, 17. Netherlands 26, 18. Oman 20, 19. UAE 18, 20. PNG 4.