Rankings boost for India, Pakistan following dominant series sweeps

ISLAMBAD, August 23 (Online) India completed a comprehensive 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe away from home earlier this week, while Pakistan matched their arch-rival with a hard-fought victory by the same scoreline in their Cricket World Cup Super League series against the Netherlands
White-ball powerhouses India and Pakistan have been rewarded for recent series sweeps by making ground on the leading teams on the latest set of ICC ODI Team Rankings.

India completed a comprehensive 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe away from home earlier this week, while Pakistan matched their arch-rival with a hard-fought victory by the same scoreline in their Cricket World Cup Super League series against the Netherlands.

Those latest results saw India improve their ODI ranking to 111 rating points and third place overall, while Pakistan also received a boost by moving to 107 rating points in fourth.

And the pair have made ground on rankings leader New Zealand (124) following the Black Caps’ narrow 2-1 series triumph over the West Indies, while England (119) remain dormant in second place as they continue their ongoing World Test Championship series against South Africa.

The Kiwis did hold a nine-point advantage at the top of the team rankings, but the fact they lost one 50-over match during their tour of the Caribbean saw their lead reduced to just five rating points.

New Zealand don’t have to wait long before they get the chance to build on their lead, with their three-match series against trans-Tasman rivals Australia coming early next month in Cairns.