Pakistan has gained a place on the Reliance ICC Test Championship table and is now in fifth position following its 2-0 victory over Bangladesh in the two-Test series which finished in Mirpur on Wednesday.
The series victory earned Pakistan one ratings point which has put it at par with Sri Lanka on 99 ratings points. However, Pakistan has been placed above Sri Lanka after the ratings were calculated beyond the decimal point.
This is Pakistan’s best rankings since March 2009 when it had claimed fifth position for a couple of months.
Pakistan now trails fourth-ranked Australia by four ratings points. Australia goes head to head with India in a four-Test series in Melbourne on Monday next. The only way Australia can drop behind Pakistan is if it loses all the four Tests of the series.
Pakistan’s next Test assignment is against number-one ranked England. The three-Test series will start at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on 17 January.
England leads Pakistan by 26 ratings points and as the rankings system is weighted to reflect this difference, England’s failure to win the series comfortably will mean it will drop points.
Reliance ICC Test Championship table (as on 21 December, after the two-Test series between Bangladesh and Pakistan)
| 1 | England | 125 |
| 2 | India | 118 |
| 3 | South Africa | 116 |
| 4 | Australia | 103 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 99 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 99 |
| 7 | West Indies | 88 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 83 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 9 |
(Zimbabwe will have to play eight Tests before it will have a ranking)
