Lahore - In a latest development in the ICC’s yearly ODI rankings, Pakistan cricket team has dropped one spot down to number nine from eight after getting clean sweep by Bangladesh earlier this month.
According to ICC press release issued on Thursday, Pakistan now has 87 points while Bangladesh is just one point ahead of Pakistan with 88 points to clinch number eight spot. This is Bangladesh’s best ranking in their cricketing history while it is Pakistan’s worst.
If Pakistan continues on this spot this September this year they will be out of ICC Champions trophy 2017, which could be the very first time that they will not be playing the event. Pakistan has three more years to make their ODI ranking better in order to qualify automatically for the 2019 World Cup event.
Pakistan still have got eight ODI’s this summer before September in order to make their rankings better, in which three are at their home against Zimbabwe and other five are V/s Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, It seems that it is going to be an challenging series for Pakistan as their team is new and still learning including their new captain Azhar Ali.
Australia have tightened their grip at the top of the ICC ODI rankings following their World Cup victory last month. Their lead has doubled over India after triumphing in Melbourne to lift a fifth title.
An intriguing battle is also developing for qualification for the 2017 Champions Trophy. The top seven sides in the world, plus hosts England, will compete at the next 50-overs tournament and the cut-off date for qualification is September 30, 2015.
West Indies, who are ranked seventh, currently have no ODIs scheduled between now and September 30, leaving them potentially vulnerable to Pakistan, who have eight matches to come - three each at home against India and South Africa, and Bangladesh - three at home to Zimbabwe and five in Sri Lanka.
New Zealand's run to the final of the World Cup sees them rise to third in the table, while England's miserable tournament has sunk them to sixth place. India remain in second place, the position they also occupy in the T20 rankings, with Sri Lanka, the reigning World T20 champions, extending their lead.
The latest ICC rankings see the table recalibrated to include matches only in the last three years. One-day rankings differ to the Test placing, that is calculated after every match.
ICC ODI Rankings
RANK TEAM PTS
1 Australia 129
2 India 117
3 New Zealand 116
4 South Africa 112
5 Sri Lanka 106
6 England 94
7 West Indies 88
8 Bangladesh 88
9 Pakistan 87
10 Ireland 50
11 Zimbabwe 45
12 Afghanistan 41