India rise to No.3 in ICC ODI rankings post-annual update

Dubai, May 1 (IANS) India have risen to the No.3 spot in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) One-day International (ODI) rankings with South Africa and Australia taking the top two spots in the latest annual update on Monday.

India have gained five points to swap positions with 2015 World Cup finalists New Zealand, who have dropped to fourth after picking two points. This means India have 117 rating points as against Kiwis who have 115.

Number-one ranked South Africa gained four points following the annual update and are now on 123 points, while world champions and second-ranked Australia stayed on 118 points.

But the race for the all-important eighth place -- which spells an automatic entry into the 2019 World Cup in England -- has Pakistan taking a strong nine point lead over the West Indies.

Hosts England, placed at fifth and the top seven-ranked teams, as on September 30, 2017, will get an automatic spot in the 2019 World Cup.

The annual update is carried out to ensure the table continues to reflect teams' recent form with older results being discarded. As such, the table now reflects all matches from May 1, 2014, with matches played after May 1, 2016 carrying 100 per cent weightage.

After the update, Pakistan have gone from 90 points to 88 and West Indies from 83 to 79 points -- meaning Pakistan's previous seven point lead over the Caribbean side has extended to nine points.

In the lead up to the ICC Champions Trophy next month, of Sri Lanka (93 points), Bangladesh (91), Pakistan (88) and West Indies (79), Bangladesh are scheduled to play a tri-series comprising Ireland, New Zealand in Ireland and West Indies host Afghanistan for three ODIs.

There is no change to 10th-ranked Afghanistan's tally of 52 points, but 11th-ranked Zimbabwe have dropped two points and are now on 46 points. Ireland gained one point and are on 43 points.

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