Final India-Pakistan match will affect ICC rankings

The ICC has announced that the winner of the India-Pakistan series, to be decided in the fifth one-dayer on March 24, will be ranked higher than the other in the ICC ODI championship table.

At present, Pakistan is ranked fifth with 107 points, and India and England are just behind on 106 points. If India win the series, they will climb to fifth, with 107 points, and Pakistan will go down to 106. If Pakistan win, they will go to 108, with India slipping to 105. If the series - and the final match, of course - is tied, then the status quo will be maintained. Australia, of course, head the table, with a mammoth 135 points.

Meanwhile, South Africa will stay in second spot in the Test rankings even if they lose the third match to New Zealand. However, their rating of 113 points will drop to 108, and they will be just two points ahead of New Zealand, who will jump to third position. If South Africa win, though, they will remain comfortably placed at No. 2 with 112 points, while New Zealand will only be on 101.

Australia's victory against Sri Lanka at Kandy ensured that they would maintain a healthy lead over the rest of the field regardless of the outcome of the third Test. Even a defeat in Colombo would leave them with 125 points, as many as they had when they started the series, while a win would boost the tally to 127.