Cricket: Pakistan rises to No 1 in ICC test rankings

Date

8/25/2016 1:16:25 AM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily)

Pakistan has risen to No 1 in the ICC's Test rankings for the first time.

It took the top position from India, following India's washed out match against West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. Pakistan had moved to No 2 on the table last week, after drawing the Test series in England 2-2 and after Australia was whitewashed 0-3 in Sri Lanka.

At the same time, India had moved to No 1 after beating West Indies in the St Lucia Test to go 2-0 up in their four-match series; it needed to win the final Test, in Trinidad, to hold on to No 1, but the match was drawn after weather and outfield issues forced play to be abandoned over four days.

Last week was the second time in less than a year that Pakistan had moved to No 2 on the rankings - the highest it had previously been since the current rankings system was put in place in 2003.

It had featured at No 2 for the first time in November 2015, after beating England 2-0 in UAE. Its rise to No 1 was built on the back of a run of unbeaten Test series since August 2014, when it was down at No 6.

Apart from the successes against England, it had also beaten Sri Lanka 2-1 in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh 1-0 in Bangladesh, and whitewashed Australia 2-0 in UAE.

Against New Zealand in UAE in November 2014, the series during which Phillip Hughes died in Sydney, it had drawn 1-1. The No 1 rank has changed hands several times in 2016.

In January, India took over from South Africa after South Africa was defeated 0-2 by England at home. In February, Australia climbed to No 1 following its 2-0 win in New Zealand.

It gave the No 1 tag back to India following their recent 0-3 loss in Sri Lanka, and then came India's handover to Pakistan.

Cricinfo

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