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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released its annual rankings, with Australia retaining its position at the top in both Men’s Test and Women’s One-Day formats. The annual update takes into account matches played from May 2023 to May 2024, with a 100% weightage given to the recent matches, while the results from the previous two years are given a 50% weightage.
In the Men’s Test rankings, Australia remains at the top with 131 points, followed by South Africa with 119 points. India has moved up to third place with 104 points, while England has slipped to fourth with 102 points. The main reason for England’s decline is the removal of old matches, particularly successful series against New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan.
Pakistan has also benefited, moving up to seventh place with 89 points, and has gained seven points in the Test rankings, moving from seventh to sixth place. Sri Lanka’s Test rankings are at seventh, West Indies at eighth, Bangladesh at ninth, and Zimbabwe at tenth.
The top ten teams in the Men’s Test rankings feature Ireland, which has been excluded due to its failure to play the required matches. Ireland and Afghanistan will be reinstated in the rankings if they play at least two Test matches in the coming year.
In the Women’s One-Day rankings, Australia remains at the top with 163 points, although with a slight reduction. England is second with 128 points, followed by India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
The ICC has announced that the T20 rankings will be released on May 5, while the Men’s ODI team rankings will be released on May 7. On the eve of the match, captain Shadab Khan said that the team that handles pressure better will be successful.
In other sports news, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has seen Babar Azam’s fans rush onto the field during a qualifier match, causing security personnel to run after them. Eleven-year-old Saad Jahanjehangir Mane has made history in chess. Pakistan Football Federation’s president Musa Ghalani met with the president of the German Football Federation in Canada.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has awarded Afghanistan’s women’s football team the right to play international matches. Sarfaraz Ahmed said that the World Test Championship’s new journey should begin in a good way.
A US company backed by Trump’s sons has announced that it has signed a contract with the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) to provide Interceptor Drones. However, the number of drones is not specified. On the other hand, the US is planning new attacks on Iran, with Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz blockaded. The 60-day period for Congress to approve the Trump administration’s Iran plan has expired.
In other news, a bizarre incident occurred in a kitchen in the South Korean city of Hongseong-gun last week, which was shared on social media by Jinsung Kum.
