After three keenly-contested and hard fought Tests, Pakistan and England shift their focus to the shorter version of the game when they go head to head in the four-match ODI series with the incentive being a movement in the right direction on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship table.
Fifth-ranked Pakistan is on 109 ratings points and leads sixth-ranked England by just three ratings points.
If Pakistan sweeps the series, it will gain four ratings points and will rise to 113 ratings points whereas England will slip to 101 ratings points by dropping five ratings points. However, if the series result is reversed, then England will rise to 111 ratings points while Pakistan will plunge to 104 ratings points.
While in case of a two-all draw, Pakistan will drop one ratings points and England will retain its pre-series ratings, Pakistan will gain two ratings points and England will surrender two ratings points if Misbah-ul-Haq’s side wins the series 3-1. In the scenario of England winning the series 3-1, Alastair Cook’s men will gain three ratings points while Pakistan will drop three ratings points.
With number-one side Australia, second-ranked India and fourth-ranked Sri Lanka currently involved in a three-nation series in Australia, and seventh-ranked New Zealand set to host third-ranked South Africa in the three-match ODI series from 25 February-3 March, the overall rankings will only be confirmed when the series in Australia concludes in the first week of March.
Meanwhile, in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings, only Jonathan Trott of England and Pakistan’s Umar Akmal figure inside the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen while five bowlers, including four spinners, from either side feature inside the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.
Trott is sitting in fourth position with India’s third-ranked Virat Kohli firmly within his sights while 10th-ranked Umar is in touching distance from Australia captain Michael Clarke who is in ninth spot. If Umar shows good form in the series, then he has the potential to break into the top five as he trails an injured fifth-ranked Shane Watson of Australia by 41 ratings points.
Batsmen sitting just outside the top 20 include Misbah-ul-Haq (26th), Eoin Morgan (28th), Alastair Cook (35th), Younus Khan (36th) and Shahid Afridi (37th) while batsmen hoping to improve their rankings include Mohammad Hafeez (43rd) and Kevin Pietersen (48th). The list is headed by South Africa’s Hashim Amla while his ODI captain AB de Villiers is 26 ratings points behind in second position. Spinners dominate the bowlers with Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez occupying the top two positions, England’s Graeme Swann in fourth position, just 19 points behind Hafeez, and Shahid Afridi is in 11th spot. The only fast bowler from either side inside the top 20 is James Anderson in 16th position while sitting just outside the top 20 are Pakistan’s Umar Gul (24th) and Stuart Broad (29th).
In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, Hafeez is occupying second spot while Shahid in in fourth position. England’s highest-ranked all-rounder is Tim Bresnan in 17th place. The player rankings will be now updated on 22 February, a day after the fourth and last ODI between Pakistan and England, and eighth match in the triangular series in Australia between India and Sri Lanka in Brisbane.
Pakistan v England Series schedule:
Feb 13: First ODI (d/n), Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Feb 15: Second ODI (d/n), Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Feb 18: Third ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium Dubai
Feb 21: Fourth ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium Dubai.
