LONDON, Feb 16: World champions Australia will slip from the top of the ICC one-day rankings for the first time if they lose their current series in New Zealand.

Australia, who lost the first match in the three-match series by 10 wickets in Wellington on Friday, have been top of the table since it was introduced in October, 2002.

In a statement on Friday the ICC said the Australians would be relegated to second place behind South Africa if they lost in New Zealand.—Reuters