Day: May 2, 2023

Dubai, May 02, 2023 (PPI-OT):India have overtaken Australia to regain No.1 position in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings following the annual update that drops results from the 2019-20 season and reflects all series completed since May 2020. India’s rating points have moved up from 119 to 121 as their 2-0 defeat to New Zealand in March 2020 no longer figures in the rankings, which assesses series completed prior to May 2022 at 50 per cent and subsequent series at 100 per cent. India were last at the top for a month in December 2021. Australia have slipped from 122 to 116 rating points as their home series wins over Pakistan (2-0) and New Zealand (3-0) in 2019-20 no longer figure in the rankings, while their 4-0 win over England in 2021-22 has its weighting halved to 50 per cent.

Australia, who take on India in the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023 at The Oval from 7 June, were the top-ranked Test side since January 2022. They grabbed the position with the 4-0 series win over England that helped them overtake New Zealand. England remain in third position but the gap between them and the second placed side is reduced from 13 to two rating points owing to some consistent performances in recent months as well as reduced weightage of their 4-0 Ashes defeat and a 1-0 defeat in the West Indies. The other rankings too remain unchanged though 10th-placed Zimbabwe have gained five rating points. Afghanistan and Ireland have yet to play enough Tests to earn a place in the rankings table.

In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, India have consolidated their position at the top, increasing their lead over second-placed England from six to eight points. New Zealand have overtaken Pakistan and South Africa to third position. The biggest ratings jumps are by Hong Kong (up three places to 18th) and USA (up three places to 22nd). Oman and Papua New Guinea are down two places each to 20th and 21st, respectively, while Singapore have slipped six places to 36th. In all, 84 countries are now ranked, having played the minimum requirement of six T20I matches over the past three years.

Turkey drop off the table, having fallen below the threshold of six matches, while five countries – Brazil, Chile, Iran, Mexico and Peru – have not played at all since May 2020 and so lose their rating. The annual update to the ODI team rankings will be carried out on 10 May after the ongoing Pakistan-New Zealand series.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Kwekwe, May 02, 2023 (PPI-OT):Imran Butt-led Pakistan Shaheens will be eying for a winning start when they take on Zimbabwe A in the four-day match starting tomorrow at the Kwekwe Sports Club in Kwekwe.

The first four-dayer will be followed by another four-dayer and six 50-over matches that will be played from 10 to 27 May in Harare and Mutare.

Pakistan Shaheens arrived in Harare on 30 April and had one-day training session at the Kwekwe Sports Club following an 11-day camp at the Hanif Muhammad High Performance Centre in Karachi and then an additional two-day camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore before the team’s departure to Zimbabwe.

The squad includes 16 players and four reserve players. Six players apart from the captain and Test cricketer Imran Butt have already represented Pakistan in international cricket. These include Hussain Talat (1 ODI, 18 T20Is), Kamran Ghulam (1 ODI), Mir Hamza (3 Tests), Mohammad Ali (2 Tests), Shahnawaz Dahani (2 ODIs, 11 T20Is) and Saim Ayub (8 T20Is).

Pakistan Shaheens’ last bilateral series was against Sri Lanka in Oct/Nov 2021. That series consisted of two four-dayers and three 50-over matches with Shaheens winning the rain-affected three-match series 1-0 and playing out a drawn four-day series. In the first four-day match in Pallekele, Kamran Ghulam and Omair Bin Yousaf – both part of the forthcoming series, scored half-centuries against Sri Lanka A.

Imran Butt said: “Our preparations have been going well, we have been working on adapting to the conditions here. The players are determined to play their best cricket and make the most of this opportunity.

“The series against Zimbabwe A is a chance for us to test our skills against a quality opposition at their own backyard. We are eager to learn from this experience and improve as a team.

“Our players understand the importance of this series and what it could mean for their future prospects. They are all motivated to perform well and make a strong case for themselves.”

Pakistan Shaheens: Imran Butt (captain) (Lahore), Hussain Talat (vice-captain) (Lahore), Aamir Jamal (Islamabad), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Haseebullah (Quetta), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mubasir Khan (Islamabad), Omair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper) (Islamabad) and Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana). Saim Ayub (Karachi, 50-over matches only). Asif Mehmood (Hyderabad), Athar Mehmood (Gujranwala), Saad Khan (Hyderabad) and Waqar Ahmad (Peshawar) (all reserves)

Player Support Personnel – Aizaz Cheema (coach), Imran Abbas (manager), Saboor Ahmed (trainer), Muhammad Asad (physiotherapist) and Faisal Rai (team analyst). Abdul Rehman (Team Consultant, for 50-over matches only)

Tour schedule:

3-6 May – 1st Four-day match; KSC, Kwekwe

10- 13 May – 2nd Four-day match; MSC, Mutare

17 May – 1st 50-over match; TSC, Harare

19 May – 2nd 50-over match; HSC, Harare

21 May – 3rd 50-over match; HSC, Harare

23 May – 4th 50-over match; OH, Harare

25 May – 5th 50-over match; HSC, Harare

27 May – 6th 50-over match; HSC, Harare

For more information, contact:

Media Manager,

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)

Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan

Tel: +92-42-5717231-4

Fax: +92-42-5711860

Website: www.pcb.com.pk