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On the other side of the coin, Australia will retain its pre-series points if it wins the series 4-1, while it will concede one point if it wins 3-2. Australia can fall from the top pedestal but to make it happen, Pakistan will have to win by 4-1 or better. However, considering that Australia leads Pakistan 33-16 on a head-to-head in its backyard, including 15 wins in 19 ODIs this decade, this looks highly improbable.
The ODI team rankings, unlike the Test rankings, are updated after each match and the ODI predictor function is available here.
Meanwhile, third-ranked India takes on fifth-ranked England in a three-ODI series starting in Pune on Sunday, 15 January. While India will be aiming to narrow the gap with second-ranked South Africa, England will be targeting an upward movement.
India can rise to as high as 114 points if it sweeps the series, but if the series result is reversed, then England can move up one place to fourth and India can slide to fifth.
In the ICC ODI Player Rankings, newly appointed India captain Virat Kohli has number-one ranked AB de Villiers of South Africa firmly within his sights. The Delhi batsman, who led India to victory in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2008 in Malaysia, trails the South Africa star by 13 points.
David Warner, who destroyed Pakistan’s bowling in Sydney, is ranked third – just two points behind Kohli. England’s Joe Root is seventh, whereas Pakistan’s highest-ranked batsman is Babar Azam in 15th position.
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Mitchell Starc, who was the Player of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, will start as the highest-ranked bowler in the upcoming One-Day International matches. He trails New Zealand’s number-one ranked Trent Boult by 13 points.
England’s Adil Rashid will start in fifth position, India’s Amit Mishra will begin in 12th spot and 39th-ranked Wahab Riaz of Pakistan is his side’s highest-ranked bowler.
ICC ODI Team Rankings (as on 11 January, before the start of Australia v Pakistan and India v England series)
Rank Team Points
1. Australia 120
2. South Africa 116
3. India 111
4. New Zealand 111
5. England 107
6. Sri Lanka 101
7. Bangladesh 91
8. Pakistan 89
9. West Indies 87
10. Afghanistan 52
11. Zimbabwe 47
12. Ireland 42
