Australia has maintained its position at the summit of the ICC Test rankings following the latest annual update released on Friday. Meanwhile, Pakistan improved its standing by moving up one spot to sixth place, overtaking Sri Lanka in the process.
South Africa continues to hold the second position, with India in third, England in fourth, and New Zealand occupying fifth place the refreshed standings. Pakistan’s climb from seventh to sixth marks a slight but notable improvement in the longest format of international cricket.
The ICC’s annual rankings update employs a weighted system that places greater emphasis on recent performances compared to older results. Australia and South Africa both gained three rating points, securing 131 and 119 points respectively to retain their top two positions.
India remains third with 104 points, followed closely by England on 102 points and New Zealand on 101. England slipped one place after losing seven rating points, primarily due to the exclusion of earlier series wins that no longer fall within the current evaluation period.
Pakistan’s rise to sixth place with 89 points coincided with Sri Lanka’s drop to seventh on 86 points, reflecting the latest recalibration of results within the rating cycle. Notably, Ireland has been removed from the rankings as they did not meet the minimum number of Test matches required during the rating period.
In a significant development, the ICC announced that updates to the men’s and women’s T20 International team rankings will be published on May 5, followed by the men’s ODI rankings update on May 7.
