NZ sticks with number 1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings

Lahore : England has vaulted into second place on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings following the annual update*, which was carried out on 1 May to ensure the table continues to reflect the recent form of sides.

England has benefitted significantly as it has risen three places after gaining seven points to now sit on 121 points. Eoin Morgan’s side is four points behind table-topper New Zealand, which is on 125 points after dropping two points.

India, the ICC World Twenty20 2007 champion, has also lost ground following the annual update after dropping six points to slip to fourth position. It is now on 118 points, three points behind ICC World Twenty20 2009 winner Pakistan, which has joined England on 121 points after gaining five points but is ranked behind the ICC World Twenty20 2010 winner by a fraction of a point.

South Africa has slipped two places to fifth ranking after conceding six points, but is one point ahead of Australia.

Australia has swapped places with reigning ICC World Twenty20 champions, the West Indies, which is 14 points ahead of 2014 winner and eighth-ranked Sri Lanka (95 points, down by four). Bangladesh is ranked 10^th on 78 points after gaining four points, while Zimbabwe has retained its 12^th rank after gaining three points.

Among the Non-Test playing sides, Afghanistan and the Netherlands have moved in opposite directions. Afghanistan is the side to benefit most after England as it has gained six points and climbed to 90 points. But while Afghanistan has strengthened its ninth position, the Netherlands has dropped nine points to slip one place to 14^th rank.

Scotland is in 11^th rank on 67 points (up by four), followed by the UAE in 13^th (52, up by four), Netherlands in 14^th (49, down by nine), Hong Kong in 15^th (46, up by three), PNG in 16^th (39, down by four), Oman in 17^th (38, down by one) and Ireland in 18^th (36, down by four).

Australia and the next nine highest-ranked sides on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings will qualify automatically for the ICC World Twenty20 2020 which will be staged in Australia. The bottom eight sides on the team rankings will get a second chance to qualify for the seventh edition of the tournament when they will join the regional qualifiers in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2019. Six sides will qualify from the qualifier to complete the 16-team line-up.

MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings (as on 2 May, following the annual update):

Rank    Change            Team               Points

1          (-)                     New Zealand     125 (-2)

2          (+3)                  England            121 (+7)

3          (+1)                  Pakistan           121 (+5)

4          (-2)                   India                 118 (-6)

5          (-2)                   South Africa      111 (-6)

6          (+1)                  Australia           110 (-)

7          (-1)                   West Indies       109 (-3)

8          (-)                     Sri Lanka          95 (-4)

9          (-)                     Afghanistan       90 (+6)

10        (-)                     Bangladesh       78 (+4)

11        (-)                     Scotland           67 (+4)

12        (-)                     Zimbabwe         65 (+3)

13        (+1)                  UAE                 52 (+4)

14        (-1)                   Netherlands      49 (-9)

15        (+1)                  Hong Kong        46 (+3)

16        (-1)                   PNG                 39 (-4)

17        (+1)                  Oman               38 (-1)

18        (-1)                   Ireland              36 (-4)

(Developed by David Kendix)          

* All results from 1 May 2013 to 30 April 30 2014 have been dropped from calculations, while matches played from 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2016 are weighted at 50 per cent and matches played from 1 May 2016 are weighted at 100 per cent.