Dubai: Pakistan will climb to third place in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings if they can win the second Test in Abu Dhabi, which starts on Thursday.
Misbah-ul-Haq’s side’s convincing 221-run win over Australia in Dubai over the weekend ensured they will climb above India into fifth place in the standings no matter what the result of the second Test.
But victory at the Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium would mean Pakistan would also leapfrog England and Sri Lanka into third.
A one-all draw in the series would see Pakistan finish in fifth place on 99 ratings points — three ahead of India and two behind fourth-ranked Sri Lanka, while a drawn Test in Abu Dhabi would see Pakistan move to fourth place.
Australia’s Dubai defeat, meanwhile, means they now can’t regain the number one ranking on this tour. To move ahead of South Africa, Australia needed to win both the Tests.
In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings, Dubai centurions David Warner of Australia and Younis Khan of Pakistan have both climbed the standings.
Warner, who scored 133 in Australia’s first innings, has moved up one place to a career-high fourth. He now has West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul firmly within his sights as only 12 ratings point separate the two left-handers.
Younis, who scored two centuries in the Test, has gained four places to claim seventh position. With captain Misbah slipping one place to 11th, Younis is now Pakistan’s highest-ranked batsman.
