Pakistan is in serious danger of failing to qualify directly for the International Cricket Council's (ICC) World Cup 2019 in the United Kingdom as it currently sits at eighth position in the One Day International Team Rankings.

Pakistan is at eighth position with 89 points, two behind Bangladesh and two ahead of the West Indies, said an ICC press release.

A former world champion, Pakistan has sets its sights on direct qualification for the World Cup 2019 as it takes on the in-form reigning world champion and number-one ranked Australia in a five-ODI series starting in Brisbane on Friday.

To at least maintain its pre-series ranking points, Pakistan needs to win one match of the series, while victories in more than one match will earn it crucial points.

If Pakistan wins two matches, then it will join Bangladesh on 91 points but will be ranked behind its Asian rivals by a fraction.

In the scenario of Pakistan winning the series, it will move ahead of Bangladesh and, as such, will enhance its chances of qualifying directly for the event it won in Australia in 1992.

On the flipside, 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.

Host England and the seven highest-ranked sides on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings as on 30 September 2017 will qualify directly for the event proper to be held from May 30 to July 15, 2019.

The four bottom-ranked sides will be joined by six teams from the ICC World Cricket League in the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 and the top two sides will complete the 10-team World Cup line-up.

Meanwhile, third-ranked India takes on fifth-ranked England in a three-ODI series starting in Pune on Sunday, January 15. 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.

Opinion

Editorial

Dutch courage
Updated 02 Jun, 2024

Dutch courage

ECP has been supported wholeheartedly in implementing twisted interpretations of democratic process by some willing collaborators in the legislature.
New World cricket
02 Jun, 2024

New World cricket

HAVING finished as semi-finalists and runners-up in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup in familiar ...
Dead on arrival?
02 Jun, 2024

Dead on arrival?

Whatever the motivations for Gaza peace plan, it is difficult to see the scheme succeeding.
Another approach
Updated 01 Jun, 2024

Another approach

Conflating the genuine threat it poses with the online actions of a few misguided individuals or miscreants seems to be taking the matter too far.
Torching girls’ schools
01 Jun, 2024

Torching girls’ schools

PAKISTAN has, in the past few weeks, witnessed ill-omened reminders of a demoralising aspect of militancy: the war ...
Convict Trump
01 Jun, 2024

Convict Trump

AFTER a five-week trial saga, a New York jury on Thursday found former US president Donald Trump guilty of ...