Pakistan consolidate top T20I spot among 80 sides

Pakistan remained the top ranked T20I side in the world among 80 countries, in the newly released MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings.

“Pakistan has consolidated their position at the top of the table, which has a wider spread of points to accommodate the additional teams. Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup champions in 2009, are now on 286 points while the next four teams are within two points of each other – South Africa (262), England (261), Australia (261) and India (260),” stated ICC in a statement.

Arch rivals India that were earlier placed at the second spot slide by three positions to fifth slot in the latest rankings, as South Africa claim the second spot with 262 points.

Teams like Austria, Botswana, Luxembourg and Mozambique are among the sides figuring in the first men’s T20I ranking table that features all Members meeting the criteria of having played six matches against other ICC members since May 2016.

As per ICC, “the move to expand the table follows ICC’s decision last year that all men’s T20 matches between Members from 1 January 2019 will be classified as internationals.  As with  the ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings, which were launched in October 2018, teams will need to play six matches against other teams in the previous three to four years to remain in the rankings table.”