ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will edge Sri Lanka to the sixth position in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings if it completes a 2-0 series win over Australia in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) starting Sunday.
Both Pakistan and Australia will have a chance to improve their positions in the Rankings, said a press issued here on Tuesday.
If Pakistan makes a 1-0 series win then it will be enough for Australia to overtake South Africa and claim second position behind India.
Pakistan will move to 97 points if they win both Tests and ahead of Sri Lanka on decimal points while Australia, who are presently on 106 points and behind South Africa only on decimal points, will move ahead with a series win. They will advance to 107 points with a 1-0 win and to 109 points if they prevail 2-0.
In a series that starts earlier on Thursday, India will be looking to ensure they do not lose any points in a bid to maintain their top position.
India lead the table with 115 points but only stand to gain one point even with a 2-0 series win owing to the large difference in rating points with the West Indies.
On the other hand, India can slip to 108 points with an unlikely 2-0 loss and Australia could overtake them if they defeat Pakistan 2-0.
For the West Indies, even a 2-0 series win will at best help them bridge the gap with Pakistan and Sri Lanka but will not pull them up from their present eighth position.
The series scenarios of Pakistan v Australia is like Pakistan win 2-0: Pakistan 97 points, Australia 100 points; Pakistan win 1-0: Pakistan 95, Australia 102; Drawn series: Pakistan 90, Australia 105; Australia win 1-0: Pakistan 86, Australia 107; Australia win 2-0: Pakistan 84, Australia 109.
In ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, India captain Virat Kohli would be aiming to consolidate his position at the top of the table since he is ahead of Australia captain Steve Smith by only one point.
Pakistan opener Azhar Ali is in 15th position and 672 points, just one behind South Africa’s Hashim Amla, while leg-spinner Yasir Shah, formerly a top-ranked bowler, would be looking to find his way back from 18th position after missing this year’s tour of Ireland and England due to a groin injury. Yasir had taken 12 wickets in a 2-0 series win over Australia in the UAE four years ago.
