Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE remained 10th in the MRF Tyres International Cricket Council Men’s Test Rankings after the annual update carried out on Thursday.
While Zimbabwe have gained eight points, they are the 10th best team in the prolonged version of the game and are still nine points behind Bangladesh. The Asian nation lost five points but maintained their spot in ninth position.
South Africa are in seventh position, equaling their lowest in Test ranking history, while Sri Lanka are next on the list.
ICC World Test Championship finalists India and New Zealand remain the top two teams in the rankings.
India have gained one rating point for an aggregate of 121 and New Zealand are only one point behind after gaining two points in Thursday’s update, which eliminates results from 2017-18.
India’s 2-1 win over Australia and 3-1 win over England over the past year and New Zealand’s 2-0 series wins over the West Indies and Pakistan have helped them keep ahead of the pack.
The latest update, which rates all matches played since May 2020 at 100 per cent and those of the previous two years at 50 per cent, sees England overtake Australia to third position as England’s 4-0 defeat to Australia in 2017-18 has dropped from the rankings.
Pakistan have gained three points but remain in fifth position while the West Indies, who beat Bangladesh 2-0 and drew 0-0 with Sri Lanka in series played this year, have moved from eighth to sixth, their best position since 2013.
Next up for Zimbabwe in Test cricket is a two-match series against Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club next month.
@Mdawini_29
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter