Fifth-ranked England and sixth-ranked Pakistan have slipped down the ladder after dropping five points apiece following the annual update of the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings.

The drop in the ranking can be owed to major series wins which were not included in the annual update. England’s 4-0 win over India and Pakistan’s 3-0 clean sweep over England among other results in 2011-12 have not been added in the calculation.

In the annual update, results from series played during 2011-12 have not been considered and the outcome from the 2013-14 series have been weighted at 50 per cent.

South Africa is leading the rankings with an extended advantage over Australia from six points to 22 points.

Its previous lead has increased by a further 16 points owing to Hashim Amla’s side gaining six points and Australia dropping 10 points.

There was a close call in the middle of the pack, with just three rankings points separating third-ranked New Zealand from seventh-ranked Sri Lanka.

Prior to the annual update, the gap between the third and seventh ranked sides was seven points.

India was seen to be benefiting from the annual ranking as heavy defeats against England and Australia in 2011-12 no longer count. As such, India has gained four points and two places in the latest Test table.

Eighth-ranked West Indies has gained five ratings points to reduce the gap with seventh-ranked Sri Lanka from 17 points to 12 points.

Bangladesh has collected six points and Zimbabwe has dropped 13 points as the difference between the two low-ranked sides has increased to 34 points.

As fifth-ranked England will take on New Zealand in a two-Test series on 21 May and sixth-ranked Pakistan travels to Sri Lanka next month for a three-Test series, the outcome of the series may well result in significant change of order in the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings.

Some of the key series results from 2011-12 which are no longer in calculations include:

• England v India (Eng won 4-0)

• Australia v Sri Lanka (Aus won 1-0)

• Pakistan v Sri Lanka (Pak won 1-0)

• South Africa v Australia (1-all draw)

• India v West Indies (Ind won 2-0)

• Australia v New Zealand (1-all draw)

• Australia v India (Aus won 4-0)

• Pakistan v England (Pak won 3-0)

• Sri Lanka v England (1-all draw)

• West Indies v Australia (Aus won 2-0)

• England v West Indies (Eng won 2-0)

Some of the key series results from 2013-14 which are now weighted at 50 per cent include:

• England v New Zealand (Eng won 2-0)

• England v Australia (Eng won 3-0)

• Pakistan v South Africa (1-all)

• New Zealand v West Indies (NZ won 2-0)

• India v West Indies (Ind won 2-0)

• South Africa v India (SA won 1-0)

• Australia v England (Aus won 5-0)

• South Africa v Australia (Aus won 2-1)

— ICC