Latest ICC ODI Rankings: Bangladesh reach their highest ever position at number six

What’s the story?

According to the latest ICC ODI rankings, Bangladesh have climbed to number six for the first time in their cricket history. Even though both teams have 93 rating points, Mashrafe Mortaza’s team are above seventh-placed Sri Lanka on decimal points.

Despite their 72-run defeat at the hands of England at Headingley on Wednesday, South Africa continue to lead the table with 122 rating points. Australia are ranked second with 118 points as India are close on their heels with 117 points.

As a result of their 5-wicket loss against Bangladesh, New Zealand have lost 2 rating points. However, they are still at fourth and ahead of England by 3 points. Though they languish at eighth spot in the rankings, Pakistan lead ninth-placed West Indies by 9 points. Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland complete the table.

The Background

In the last game of the tri-series also involving Ireland, Bangladesh defeated New Zealand at an overseas venue for the first time in their ODI history. At the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin, they outclassed the Kiwis by chasing down a stiff target of 271 runs with 5 wickets to spare.

The heart of the matter

All ODIs between May 2016 and 2017 are weighted at 100 percent while matches between May 2014 and 2016 are given 50 percent weightage. Bangladesh’s rise to number six gives them a clear advantage in the race for automatic qualification to the 2017 World Cup.

As of 30^th September this year, the top-ranked seven teams, apart from hosts England, qualify automatically for the World Cup. Going by the latest rankings, West Indies are in serious danger of missing the cut.

Latest ICC ODI Rankings

Position	Team	Matches	Points	Rating
1	South Africa	45	5488	122
2	Australia	46	5442	118
3	India	31	3632	117
4	New Zealand	44	5019	114
5	England	44	4886	111
6	Bangladesh	28	2613	93
7	Sri Lanka	46	4273	93
8	Pakistan	36	3170	88
9	West Indies	30	2355	79
10	Afghanistan	28	1463	52
11	Zimbabwe	36	1640	46
12	Ireland	25	1028	41

What’s next?

There are a couple of ODIs left in the series between England and South Africa. While the second game is set to take place on 27^th at The Rose Bowl, the final match will happen on the 29^th at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Author’s Take

Ahead of the 2017 edition of the Champions Trophy, the surge to number six should be a massive confidence boost for Bangladesh. When the eagerly awaited tournament begins, the rankings are expected to fluctuate further.