Pakistan might go up to second, Sri Lanka, West Indies hold on to their positions - ICC Test Rankings
Sri Lanka kept control on their seventh position in the ICC Test Team Rankings, after defeating West Indies 2-0 in the Test series at home. The rankings saw no change in the 8th position also as West Indies remain at that spot.
However, Pakistan now has the liberty to fight for the second position as they lead England by a 1-0 scoreline in their clash. The men in green took the first test by emerging victorious by 178 runs. But to get hold of the second spot, they will have to win the Sharjah Test also, which will see Pakistan parallel Australia with 106 points. Pakistan will feature above the Aussies in the table when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
The situation would not be the same if England manages to equal the series as both the teams will cling to their pre-series rankings and points. In the case of a draw, England will fall down to the fifth position while both Pakistan and India moves up a place in the rankings. The Sharjah test commences from the 1st of November which will be third test of the series.
Meanwhile, in the individual rankings, England batsman Joe Root has reacquired the number one spot in the batting ranking. He overtook Aussie skipper Steve Smith by 3 points pushing Smith down to the second spot.
Younus Khan, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq have also jumped up the rankings because of good performances in the Dubai Test, which went down to the wire. Misbah entered the top 5 in the rankings while Younus and Shafiq are placed at 11th and 12th respectively.
The Dubai Test has been quite beneficial for Pakistan as another Pakistani cricketer Yasir Shah has taken a major leap to the 2nd spot in the bowler’s ranking which is a career best for him. He crossed the likes of England’s James Anderson, Stuart Broad and New Zealand’s Trent Boult to do so.
Below are the ICC Test Rankings as it stands on October 27th (After the conclusion of the Sri Lanka v/s West Indies Test) :
| Rank | Teams | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 125 |
| 2 | Australia | 106 |
| 3 | England | 102 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 101 |
| 5 | India | 100 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 99 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 93 |
| 8 | West Indies | 76 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 47 |
| 10 | Zimbabwe | 05 |