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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Pakistan in danger of missing spot for 2019 World Cup

Pakistan in danger of missing spot for 2019 World Cup

Source: PTI
Last updated on: January 11, 2017 19:12 IST
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The Pakistan cricket team in a huddle

IMAGE: The Pakistan cricket team in a huddle. Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Languishing at the bottom of ICC ODI team ranking, Pakistan have set sight on direct qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup when they take on the in-form reigning world champions and number-one ranked Australia in a five-ODI series starting in Brisbane on Friday.

Pakistan are presently in serious danger of failing to qualify directly for the ICC's 50-over tournament in the United Kingdom – The former world champions are sitting in eighth position on 89 points -- two behind Bangladesh and two ahead of the West Indies.

Hosts England and the seven highest-ranked sides in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings as on 30 September 2017 will qualify directly for the event proper to be held from 30 May to 15 July 2019.

The four bottom-ranked sides will be joined by six teams from the ICC World Cricket League in the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 and the top two sides will complete the 10-team World Cup line-up.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, left, with Coach Anil Kumble, centre, and Virat Kohli

IMAGE: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, left, with Coach Anil Kumble, centre, and Virat Kohli. Photograph: BCC

To, at least, maintain its pre-series ranking points, Pakistan need to win one match of the series, while victories in more than one match will earn them crucial points.

If Pakistan win two matches, then it will join Bangladesh on 91 points but will be ranked behind their Asian rivals by a fraction.

In the scenario of Pakistan winning the series, they will move ahead of Bangladesh and, as such, will enhance their chances of qualifying directly for the event they won in Australia in 1992.

On the other hand, Australia will retain pre-series points if they win the series 4-1, while they will concede one point if they claim the series 3-2.

Australia can fall from the top pedestal but to make it happen, Pakistan will have to win by 4-1 or better. However, considering that Australia leads Pakistan 33-16 on a head-to-head in its backyard, including 15 wins in 19 ODIs this decade, this looks highly improbable.

Meanwhile, India will be aiming to narrow the gap with second-ranked South Africa when they take on fifth-ranked England in a three-ODI series starting in Pune on January 15.

India can rise to as high as 114 points if they sweep the series, but if the series result is reversed, then England can move up one place to fourth and India can slide to fifth.

Australia's David Warner

IMAGE: David Warner bats. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

India's newly-appointed limited-overs captain Virat Kohli will look to close in on top-ranked South African A B de Villiers in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen.

Kohli trails the South African star by 13 points.

David Warner, who destroyed Pakistan's bowling in Sydney, is ranked third -- just two points behind Kohli.

England's Joe Root is seventh, whereas Pakistan's highest-ranked batsman is Babar Azam in 15th position.

Mitchell Starc, who was the Player of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, will start as the highest-ranked bowler in the upcoming One-Day International matches against Pakistan. He trails New Zealand's number-one ranked Trent Boult by 13 points.

England's Adil Rashid will start in fifth position, while India's Amit Mishra will begin in 12th spot and 39th-ranked Wahab Riaz of Pakistan is his side's highest-ranked bowler.

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