Pakistan vs Australia 2014: Chance for Michael Clarke's men to reclaim top spot in ICC Test rankings
Australia’s upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, which starts in Dubai on Wednesday, provides the men from Down Under with a chance of reclaiming the top spot in the ICC Test rankings.
A two-nil series win for the Michael Clarke-led side would take them a point above South Africa, which currently holds top spot with 124 points, while a 1-0 victory would make them equal on points.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have a chance of making a significant jump from 6th place to 3rd if they can win the series 2-0. A 1-0 victory, meanwhile, would push Pakistan, who are currently level on 96 points with arch-rivals India, to 4th place, thereby displacing Sri Lanka.
A 1-1 series draw, which is the only other possibility, will still result in Pakistan overtaking India but will see Australia slip a further two points behind the Proteas.
Australia, who held the top spot consecutively from when the rankings were introduced in 2002 until 2009, reclaimed the No.1 ranking from South Africa earlier this year and held it between May and July 2014. But their place at the perch was shortlived as South Africa reclaimed it following a 1-0 series victory in Sri Lanka in August, resulting in Australia not having the fortune of playing a single Test as the No.1 ranked Test side.