By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
NEW Zealand has been ranked the top One Day International World Champions.
It replaces England that previously occupied the top position.
England however managed to maintain its position at the top of the T20l table.
This was revealed after the annual update to MRF tyres ICC Men’s team rankings.
New Zealand gained in the annual T20I update moving up from fifth to third after series wins over the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh. Australia has moved down from third to fifth.
In a press release International Cricket Council Media and Communications Manager, Rajshekhar Rao said the ranking comes after New Zealand defeated Bangladesh with a 3-0 in their ODI series last year when they advanced two slots in the MRF tyres ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings after gaining three rating points to reach an aggregate of 121. Australia was second with 118 points while India and England are both on 115, the former ahead on decimal points.
England’s slip down to fourth position comes in a second annual update after they won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at Lord’s in the summer of 2019. In the past 12 months, they have suffered 2-1 series losses to Australia and India as well as an ODI lost to Ireland.
The latest update that rates all matches played since May 2020 at 100per cent and those of the previous two years at 50percent sees Australia move up two places from fourth to second and India drop one place to third. The West Indies have overtaken Sri Lanka to ninth position.
Netherlands has been allowed to retain their ranking despite only having played four ODIs during the new rating period, since their scheduled fixtures were postponed as a result of the Covid -19 pandemic.
While England remains the top ranked side in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, extending their lead over India to five points. During this period, they drew a three match series against Pakistan 1-1, defeated Australia 2-1 and South Africa 3-0 before losing an away series to India by a 3-2margin.
In other movements at the top of T20I rankings table, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have gained one place each to reach eighth and ninth positions and respectively while the West Indies have dropped two places to 10th.
There has been no change of places in either format for Afghanistan, Pakistan or South Africa. Afghanistan are 10th in ODIs seventh in T20I S, Pakistan are sixth in ODIs and forth in T20Is while South Africa are fifth in ODIs and sixth in T20Is.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, 80 countries have played the requisite six T20Is over the past three years to remain in the rankings. Five countries have lost their rankings update – Ghana, Gambia, Hungary, Sierra Leone and Sweden.
