Pakistan rise to third in ICC Test rankings after annual update

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Pakistan moved up to the third position in the ICC Test Rankings, placed just below arch-rivals India with a difference of just a point while Australia went six points clear at the top, announced cricket’s global body on it’s website on Tuesday.

Pakistan benefitted from the annual update as their 2012-13 series defeat against South Africa no longer counts while the 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka in 2014-15 has it’s weighing reduced to half.

South Africa, though, have quite heavily suffered from the update as their series wins against England, Australia and New Zealand also dropped from the rankings calculation.

West Indies also dropped points as their triumphs against New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh lost any mathematical value.

The gap between the West Indies and ninth-ranked Bangladesh slashed from 29 points to just eight points.

Pakistan is set to visit England later this summer as they take on the hosts in a four-match Test series which will significantly impact the rankings again.

Sri Lanka will also tour England right before Pakistan to play three Test matches and will host Australia in July.