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Cape Town - The Proteas have extended their advantage over Australia from six points to 22 points at the top of the ICC Test Team Rankings following the annual update.
Results from the 2011/12 season are now dropped from the calculations and outcomes from the 2013/14 series weighted at 50 percent.
These calculations have resulted in South Africa’s previous lead of six points increasing by a further 16, owing to Hashim Amla’s side gaining six points and Australia dropping 10 points.
The annual update has seen a reshuffle in the middle of the pack and now just three rankings points separate third-ranked New Zealand from seventh-ranked Sri Lanka. Prior to the annual update, the gap between the third and seventh ranked sides was seven points.
Fifth-ranked England and sixth-ranked Pakistan have slipped on the ladder after dropping five points apiece. This is due to England’s 4-0 win over India and Pakistan’s 3-0 clean sweep over England among other results in 2011/12 being dropped from the rankings calculations.
India have benefitted from the annual update as heavy defeats against England and Australia in 2011/12 no longer count. As such, India have gained four points and two places in the latest Test table.
Eighth-ranked West Indies have gained five ratings points to reduce the gap with seventh-ranked Sri Lanka from 17 points to 12 points. Bangladesh have collected six points and Zimbabwe have dropped 13 points as the difference between the two bottom-ranked sides have increased to 34 points.
As fifth-ranked England will take on New Zealand in a two-Test series on May 21 and sixth-ranked Pakistan travel to Sri Lanka next month for a three-Test series, the series outcomes may well result in significant movements on the ICC Test Team Rankings.
Some of the key series results from 2011-12, which are no longer in calculations, include: England v India (Eng won 4-0), Australia v Sri Lanka (Aus won 1-0), Pakistan v Sri Lanka (Pak won 1-0), South Africa v Australia (1-all draw), India v West Indies (Ind won 2-0), Australia v New Zealand (1-all draw), Australia v India (Aus won 4-0), Pakistan v England (Pak won 3-0), Sri Lanka v England (1-all draw), West Indies v Australia (Aus won 2-0) and England v West Indies (Eng won 2-0).
Some of the key series results from 2013/14, which are now weighted at 50 percent, include: England v New Zealand (Eng won 2-0), England v Australia (Eng won 3-0), Pakistan v South Africa (1-all), New Zealand v West Indies (NZ won 2-0), India v West Indies (Ind won 2-0), South Africa v India (SA won 1-0), Australia v England (Aus won 5-0) and South Africa v Australia (Aus won 2-1).
ICC Test rankings:
Rank* Team Points*
1 (-) South Africa 130 (+6)
2 (-) Australia 108 (-10)
3 (+2) New Zealand 99 (0)
4 (+3) India 99 (+4)
5 (-1) England 97 (-5)
6 (-3) Pakistan 97 (-5)
7 (-1) Sri Lanka 96 (0)
8 (-) West Indies 84 (+5)
9 (-) Bangladesh 39 (+6)
10 (-) Zimbabwe 5 (-13)
