Pakistan rises in Test Championship table
Dubai : Second-ranked South Africa and sixth-placed Pakistan have moved in different directions in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table after their two-Test series ended on Wednesday with both games drawn.
South Africa had entered the series leading Pakistan by 36 ratings points. This gap meant the Proteas were expected to win the series convincingly. As such, because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, South Africa?s failure to win the series means it has dropped points.
Following drawn Tests in Dubai and then today in Abu Dhabi, South Africa has now slipped from 119 ratings points to 116 ratings points while Pakistan has gained five ratings points and now sits on 88 ratings points.
Even though South Africa is now just a point ahead of Sri Lanka, it cannot be overtaken by Kumar Sangakkara?s side irrespective of how their series against the West Indies pans out. And this is due to the fact that Sri Lanka was also expected to win the series comfortably given the teams? current rankings.
With the first Test at Galle already finishing in a draw, the maximum Sri Lanka can now achieve is a 2-0 series win which will not be enough to put it ahead of South Africa
A 2-0 win will keep it on 115 ratings points while a 1-0 series win will mean it will fall to 113 ratings points, just one ahead of England which takes on Australia in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane tomorrow.
However, if the series ends in a 0-0 draw, Sri Lanka could drop behind England and Australia in fifth position on 109 ratings points while the West Indies will jump to 85 ratings points.
In contrast, the West Indies will move ahead of New Zealand even if it loses the series 1-0 while a 2-0 series loss will mean it will stay in eighth position on 79 ratings points.
In case of a series win, the West Indies will move ahead of Pakistan in sixth position. A 1-0 win will take it to 89 ratings points while a 2-0 win will put it on 91 ratings points.
Ranking Team Rating
1 India 129
2 South Africa 116
3 Sri Lanka 115
4 England 112
5 Australia 110
6 Pakistan 88
7 New Zealand 80
8 West Indies 79
9 Bangladesh 7: