England drops two spots in the ICC ODI rankings in three days; Afghanistan and Sri Lanka move up.

In the span of just three days, England has slipped two places in the ICC ODI rankings. Sri Lanka has moved up to sixth, overtaking Harry Brook’s side, while Afghanistan has claimed the seventh spot. The positions of these three teams have shifted due to only a marginal difference in their rating points.

The latest ICC ODI rankings show significant changes between the sixth and eighth positions, driven by the outcomes of two tri-nation series held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. England has dropped from sixth to eighth, while both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have each climbed one spot.

Afghanistan’s rise follows their victory in the tri-nation series. On Friday, the Afghans secured the title by defeating Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in the final in Sharjah, a win that propelled them past England into seventh place.

Meanwhile, England delivered a disappointing performance in the tri-nation series held in Pakistan. After an initial defeat to the hosts, Pakistan, they also lost to Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Thursday—a match in which England failed to win despite scoring 429 runs. This victory allowed Sri Lanka to overtake England and move into sixth place.

Only two rating points separate the three teams.

Despite the shifts in the rankings, the gap in rating points between Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and England is extremely narrow:

Sri Lanka: 95 rating points, 6th place

Afghanistan: 94 rating points, 7th place

England: 93 rating points, 8th place

In other words, there is a difference of just two rating points among the three teams, meaning their positions could easily change again based on the results of upcoming matches.

Zimbabwe, who played in the final of the Sharjah tri-nation series, also saw an improvement; their rating points increased by two, moving them up to 11th place with 63 points.

Bangladesh’s rating points have decreased.

Amidst these changes, there is no good news for Bangladesh. Bangladesh lost both of their matches in the same tournament, resulting in a two-point drop in their rating.

Bangladesh’s current rating stands at 81. Despite this decline in points, their position in the rankings remains unchanged; they continue to hold the ninth spot.

No change in the top five

There have been no shifts among the top five teams in the ODI rankings. India retains the top spot with 115 rating points, followed by New Zealand in second place with 109 points.

Next in line are South Africa, Pakistan, and Australia, with 104, 103, and 102 rating points, respectively.

Consequently, the outcomes of the two tri-nation series have brought about significant changes in the middle tier of the rankings. In particular, the progress made by Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, contrasted with England’s two-place fall, has become a major talking point.