ICC ODI Rankings: Pakistan pip India to jump to second spot, Australia remain No. 1 in annual update

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Dubai, May 11: Arch-rivals Pakistan pipped India to attain the second position in the latest ICC ODI Men's Team Rankings released by the global cricket body on Thursday (May 11). Australia continue to sit at the top of the team standings and have a lead of three points over Team India.

Pat Cummins-led Australia improved their rating from 113 to 118 following the annual update, maintaining a slender lead over Pakistan (116 points) and India (115 points).

According to the ICC release, "Prior to the annual rankings update, Australia were at the top with 113 points with India behind them on a decimal count. Pakistan were ranked third, with 112 points and briefly went to the top of the charts after their victory in the fourth ODI against New Zealand this month."

Pakistan - who defeated New Zealand side 4-1 at home in the recently concluded series - could have stayed at the top position had they managed to complete a 5-0 clean sweep against the Blackcaps.

With only three rating points now separating the top three teams, an exciting battle at the top of the rankings is imminent in the year of the ICC World Cup in India. Holders England will be challenged by these top-three ranked teams in the showpiece event.

The ICC's annual rankings considered all ODI series completed since May 2020 "with series completed before May 2022 weighted at 50 per cent and all subsequent series weighted at 100 per cent".

"This means that Pakistan have now pipped India in the second spot, with their 4-0 away series defeat in England no longer being counted. Their 3-0 series loss in England in 2021 also has a reduced weightage, helping them leapfrog India in the charts," the ICC said.

India have been heavily impacted by their 2-1 series loss at home against Australia this year. Despite starting the three-match series on a winning note, the Rohit Sharma-led side suffered defeats in the next games and lost yet another ODI series at home against the Aussies in a world cup year.

New Zealand - the runners-up of the 2019 World Cup - are placed fourth with 104 points followed by defending champions England, who have 'witnessed a massive 10-point drop in their rating' are at fifth with 101 points.

While Afghanistan made a big jump to move to the eighth spot and get ahead of Sri Lanka (ninth) and the West Indies (tenth), South Africa were ranked sixth and Bangladesh seventh.