ENGLAND have slipped one place to fourth in the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings following their five-wicket defeat in the Barbados Test, which has helped the West Indies to level the three-Test series at one-all.England had entered the three-Test series in third place on 104 points, while the West Indies had begun in eighth spot on 76 points
But following last Sunday’s result, Alastair Cook’s men have dropped behind Pakistan into fourth position, while the West Indies, after gaining three points, have reduced the gap with seventh-placed India to 14 points.
Pakistan, who face Bangladesh in the second and final Test in Mirpur today, must win to retain their latest Test ranking.
Should Pakistan succeed in doing so, Misbah-ul-Haq’s side will fall to 102 points but will be ranked above England when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
Conversely, a Bangladesh win would see Pakistan drop behind England (102) and New Zealand (99) in fifth position on 96 points, while if the Test is drawn, then Pakistan will join New Zealand on 99 points but will be ranked above the Black Caps by a fraction of a point.
The Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings predictor function is available here. The Test rankings table, unlike the ODI & T20I tables, is updated after the series.
Meanwhile, the annual Test team rankings, update like last week’s ODI and T20I tables, will be carried out after the Mirpur Test.
Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings (as on May 4, following West Indies-England series and ahead of Bangladesh-Pakistan second Test)
1. South Africa 124
2. Australia 119
3. Pakistan 103
4. England 102
5. New Zealand 99
6. Sri Lanka 96
7. India 93
8. West Indies 79
9. Bangladesh 32
10. Zimbabwe 18
(Developed by David Kendix)