England precariously perched in ODI rankings

As England and Pakistan square off in a five-match one-day series beginning at Lahore on Saturday, England need an emphatic win not only to make amends for the loss in the Test series but also to avoid playing in the preliminary round of next year's ICC Champions Trophy in India.

After the cut-off date of April 1, 2006 teams placed after six in the ICC's ODI rankings will be relegated to the preliminary round. England, currently sixth in the ODI championship table, have only two games against India, other than the ones against Pakistan, before the cut-off date.

This puts additional pressure on them to perform well in the next five games. But with 109 points England may gain solace from the fact that the middle of the table is wobbly with just two points between New Zealand, at seventh, and India, at fourth.

This means that should any of the teams between these positions accomplish a series of wins, they will shoot up the table. As for England, a series sweep against Pakistan will catapult them into second place with 119 points, while a 4-1 score line will move them above Pakistan into third position. Pakistan, on their part, look well placed to ensure a top-six placing by next April. A 4-1 success will move them into second.

As the England-Pakistan series begins, the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy will be concluding at Christchurch, and Australia's success in the first two games has seen them extend their lead in the championship table to 19 points ahead of nearest rivals South Africa. Another win for Australia at Jade Stadium on Saturday will see that lead become 20 points and New Zealand will drop to 106 points. If New Zealand win they will move up to 109 points and level with India, Sri Lanka and England - another illustration of how tight that middle section of the table is - while Australia will drop to 135.

Marcus Trescothick, captaining England in the absence of the injured Michael Vaughan, is his side's leading batsman in the latest ICC Player Rankings for batsmen, at fifth place. Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff follow at 13th and 15th respectively. For Pakistan, Mohammad Yousuf, who made a Test-best 223 in Lahore last week, is at seventh while Inzamam-ul-Haq, the captain, is 10th.

Australia's Andrew Symonds has jumped to fourth following his 156 in the second one-day match in Wellington. Michael Clarke, dropped from the Test side, has moved up seven places to take the 12th spot. Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, has edged out team-mate Adam Gilchrist from the top spot.

Pakistan's Naved-ul-Hasan, the fast bowler, holds the sixth position in the ICC Player Rankings for bowlers. Stephen Harmison (7th) remains England's highest-placed bowler, followed by Flintoff (13th) and James Anderson (26th), who took England's first-ever one-day hat-trick when he played against Pakistan in 2003. Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, the Australian fast bowlers, occupy the top spots in the bowling list. For New Zealand, Daniel Vettori, captaining in the absence of Stephen Fleming, has moved up one place and now is fifth, his best-ever ranking.

For full details of the rankings, click here.