LONDON, Aug 2: Victory in the Asia Cup has lifted Sri Lanka to third place in the ICC One-day International Championship as the official ratings underwent annual update on Monday.
With South Africa sliding down the table following disappointing results in last year's ICC World Cup and a heavy series defeat in New Zealand, Sri Lanka needed to win all of their matches in the Asia Cup to snatch second spot from the other form team, New Zealand.
But defeat in their final group match against India meant Sri Lanka had to settle for third spot in the official ODI table. Sri Lanka will, however, have a chance to climb to second when they take on South Africa at home over the coming weeks.
New Zealand's ascent to second place in the official ODI table caps a remarkable improvement since the start of the year during which they have climbed from eighth position following a combination of strong performances at home and their recent NatWest Series victory in England.
The update sees South Africa lose second spot in the official table for the first time since the ODI ratings were introduced in October 2002. It caps a disappointing 12 months for South Africa in which they also lost their grasp of second place in the ICC Test Championship.
The forthcoming tour to Sri Lanka provides an immediate opportunity for South Africa to bounce back in both forms of the game. Australia remain top of the ICC ODI table, with their rating improving by one point as a result of the update. They continue to hold a comfortable 20-point cushion at the top of the table.
Despite losing to their neighbours in the group stage of the Asia Cup, India's march to the final has lifted them above Pakistan to fifth spot. England's recent poor form has resulted in them slipping below the West Indies to eighth place as their rating has dropped below 100 for the first time since July 2003.
The ratings of Zimbabwe, Kenya and Bangladesh remain virtually unchanged as they continue to occupy the bottom three places.
UPDATED ODI TABLE:
1. Australia 137
2. New Zealand 117
3. Sri Lanka 116
4. South Africa 110
5. India 106
6. Pakistan 104
7. West Indies 101
8. England 99
9. Zimbabwe 61
10. Kenya 28
11. Bangladesh 0. -Agencies