Pakistan slide to number 7 in T20 rankings

Pakistan on Friday lost two spots in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 rankings, sliding to the seventh position, according to the annual update issued by the global cricket body.

India (264) are still at the top in the updated T20I rankings but their lead has dropped from 11 points to just seven with second-placed Australia (257) rising above third-placed England (252).

South Africa (250) also jumped two spots from sixth to fourth and are now only two rating points behind England.

West Indies (249) in sixth place are two points ahead of Pakistan.

“The rankings update only takes into consideration teams' performances after May 2021, with India's impressive 2-1 series triumph over Australia under skipper Virat Kohli that finished in January of 2021 dropping out of the rankings period,” the ICC said in a press release.

“All results between May 2021 and May 2023 are then weighted at 50 per cent and the ones in the following 12 months — that includes Australia's World Test Championship final victory — are then weighted at 100 per cent.”

There is no change in the ODI rankings with India increasing their lead at the top to six rating points over Australia (116).

Third-placed South Africa (112) have reduced the gap with Australia to four rating points, while Pakistan (106) and New Zealand (101) are also in the top five.

Sri Lanka (93) in seventh place are only two points behind England (95), with Bangladesh (86), Afghanistan (80) and West Indies (69) other teams in the top 10.

Meanwhile, Australia’s impressive 209-run win over India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval last year helped them overtake their opponents at the top of the Test rankings.

India (120) are in second place, four points less than Australia, meanwhile, England (105) are in third spot on the ICC Test rankings.

South Africa (103), New Zealand (96), Pakistan (89), Sri Lanka (83), West Indies (82) and Bangladesh (53) remaining unchanged in positions between fourth and ninth.