Sri Lanka’s 3-0 whitewash of Australia, combined with India’s 2-0 series win over the West Indies, resulted in Pakistan securing the number one ranking after their 10-wicket win over England at The Oval.
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India’s players celebrates the dismissal of New Zealan’s Peter Fulton during day one of the second global test cricket match at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, February 14, 2014. “The number-one ranking is well deserved and a testament to the quality of cricket the team has consistently played over the past few years”.
1 Test side, but with the rain gods not in their favour, India appear helpless in denying Pakistan’s historic landmark.
With this, Pakistan’s hopes to be levitated to the Top rank in ICC Test Rankings have brightened as the sun.
Congratulating the players, the team management and the support staff, Misbah said that it is a proud achievement for Pakistan cricket.
Within days the Pakistan team has been declared the World No. 1 Test team, mainly thanks to the washed out fourth Test match between India and West Indies.
India won the three-match series 2-0 but are one point adrift of Pakistan’s points total of 111 points as a result of the drawn Test against the Caribbean side.
Pakistan have become the fifth team to secure No.1 ranking in Tests since 2003.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday clarified that there is a prescribed procedure for the presentation for the Test mace to the team topping the rankings. “Misbah-ul-Haq deserves special credit for his leadership through six crucial years”.
West Indies made one change from the previous match in St Lucia with specialist leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo recalled to the side at the expense of tall fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who made his debut in the third Test.
“The past few weeks of Test cricket have been incredibly absorbing with some high-quality competitive series being played, exhibiting what is so special about Test cricket”. For me in this Test match, it is just about continuing to get starts but taking it further by carrying on and converting them into big scores. Holder has not led from the front either and has had a modest time in this series especially with the ball.
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The ICC’s ranking system takes into account matches played over the previous four years, with the oldest matches in the cycle being dropped every May.
