New Zealand top-ranked ODI side after annual update to MRF Tyres ICC Men's Team Rankings

New Zealand have replaced reigning World champions England as the number one ranked side in the ODI rankings but England have consolidated their position at the top of the T20I table after the annual update carried out on Monday.

These updates eliminate results from 2017-18 and halve the weighting of matches played in 2019-20 which includes the 2019 World Cup.

New Zealand, who defeated Bangladesh 3-0 in their only ODI series during the past year, have advanced two slots in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings after gaining three rating points to reach an aggregate of 121. Australia is second with 118 points while India and England are both on 115, the former ahead on decimal points.

England’s slip down to fourth position comes in the second annual update since they won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at Lord’s in the summer of 2019.  In the past 12 months, they have suffered 2-1 series losses to Australia and India, as well as an ODI lost to Ireland.

The latest update, which rates all matches played since May 2020 at 100 percent and those of the previous two years at 50 percent, sees Australia move up two places from fourth to second and India drop one place to third. The West Indies have overtaken Sri Lanka to the ninth position.

The Netherlands have been allowed to retain their ranking despite only having played four ODIs during the new rating period since their scheduled fixtures were postponed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

England retain top spot in T20I cricket

England remain the top-ranked side in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings, extending their lead over India to five points. During this period, they drew a three-match series against Pakistan 1-1, defeated Australia 2-1, and South Africa 3-0 before losing an away series to India by a 3-2 margin.

New Zealand have also gained in the annual T20I update, moving up from fifth to third after series wins over the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh. Australia have moved the other way, down from third to fifth.

In other movements at the top of the T20I rankings table, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have gained one place each to reach eighth and ninth positions, respectively, while the West Indies have dropped two places to 10th.

There has been no change of places in either format for Afghanistan, Pakistan or South Africa. Afghanistan are 10th in ODIs and seventh in T20Is, Pakistan are sixth in ODIs and fourth in T20Is while South Africa are fifth in ODIs and sixth in T20Is.

Despite the pandemic, 80 countries have played the requisite six T20Is over the past three years to remain in the rankings. Five countries have lost their ranking after the update – Gambia, Ghana, Hungary, Sierra Leone and Sweden.

The annual update to the Test rankings will be carried out following the conclusion of the ongoing Pakistan v Zimbabwe series.

Here are the Top 10 ranked ODI teams and their rankings