KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday clarified that there is a prescribed procedure for the presentation for the Test mace to the team topping the rankings.

Pakistan are poised to become the top-ranked Test team with the rain-ravaged fourth and final Test between India and West Indies at Port of Spain almost certain to end in a draw on Monday.

India needed to win the series 3-0 against the West Indies to remain the No 1 Test team regardless of results of other series following Australia relinquishing their top position after being whitewashed 3-0 by Sri Lanka last Wednesday.

Pakistan defeated England by 10 wickets at The Oval last week to draw the four-match 2-2, result which lifted Misbah-ul-Haq’s men to second in the ICC Test Championship standings just one point behind India who currently have 112 rating points.

But India will slip to 110 points if, as widely expected the fourth Test in Trinidad — where just 22 overs of play were possible on Thursday’s opening day — ends in a stalemate.

Therefore, Pakistan will automatically displace arch-rivals India to assume top Test team position with a difference of one point.

An ICC spokesman told Dawn from Dubai that a suitable time will be worked out between the home board of the top-ranked team and the ICC before a mace-presentation ceremony is held.

“Each time a team tops the rankings during the season, the mace is passed on to it,” the spokesman pointed out.

“It is a symbol of excellence for any team to top the ranking. In recognition of such an occurrence, the ICC and the home board [in this case the Pakistan Cricket Board] will plan the presentation event which would require the presence of all stakeholders including the captain because the mace is presented to the man leading the team.”

Misbah is presently on vacation in Norway while some of his Pakistan team-mates, including ODI skipper Azhar Ali who is also the Test vice-captain, are preparing to play England in the five-match One-day International series from Wednesday.

“Since the West Indies-India game is the last Test for a while, the top-ranked side will get the mace in due course. Unlike in the past few years when a team has held the mace for a considerable period on the basis of its being ranked No 1, the situation this time is quite different,” the spokesman remarked.

“With a busy schedule to follow, there is possibility of the mace changing hands depending on the outcome of series being played at the time around the cricketing world.

“While the team at No 1 spot gets the opportunity of holding the mace, the prize-money among the four top-ranked is distributed on the April 1 cut-off date each year. The No 1 team receives $1 million, second-ranked side $500,000, the number three earns $200,000 and the fourth-ranked $100,000 in recognition of their performance,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2016