Pakistan Test team, which is ranked at the third place, has a chance to reduce the gap further on second-ranked Australia in the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings when it faces New Zealand in the three-Test series, starting at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
A 3-0 series win over New Zealand would earn Misbah-ul-Haq’s side five ratings points, thus reducing Australia’s lead to seven points, where as a 2-0 win for the hosts would see them reduce the deficit to nine points, while a 1-0 victory would see Pakistan gain a solitary ratings point.
If the series ends in a draw Pakistan would swap positions with England, while New Zealand would improve its rankings point by one.
In contrast, a one-nil victory for seventh-placed New Zealand would see them leapfrog India into sixth position with Pakistan dropping to fifth position, while a 2-0 win would push New Zealand into fifth place with Pakistan slipping to sixth spot.
However, South Africa’s current seven-point lead at the summit would not be affected. But the top of the table could see movement when South Africa welcome West Indies in a three-Test series, and India travels Down Under to face Australia in a four-Test series, next month.
Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings as on 8 November, before the start of Pakistan-New Zealand Test series are:
1. South Africa
2. Australia
3. Pakistan
4. England
5. Sri Lanka
6. India
7. New Zealand
8. West Indies
9. Zimbabwe
10. Bangladesh (ANI)