Afghanistan have moved above England in the latest ICC men’s ODI team rankings after winning the tri-series in the UAE.
Afghanistan gained two rating points and climbed from eighth to seventh place. England, meanwhile, dropped two points after losing back-to-back matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.
Afghanistan now have a rating of 94 from 31 matches. England are eighth with a rating of 93 from 36 matches.
Afghanistan’s strong run lifts them in rankings
Afghanistan sealed the tri-series title with a convincing win over Zimbabwe in the final in Sharjah. They bowled Zimbabwe out for 169.
Rashid Khan was the star with the ball. He took three wickets. Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Nabi and Bilal Sami picked up two wickets each.
Afghanistan then chased down the target in the 35th over. Ibrahim Zadran played the key role with an unbeaten 70 from 96 balls. His innings included four fours and one six.
Zadran first added 68 runs with Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The opener scored 36. Zadran then shared an 82-run partnership with captain Rahmat Shah, who made 43.
Zadran was named Player of the Match. Rashid was named Player of the Series after taking 11 wickets during the tournament.
Sri Lanka also benefited from England’s poor run. They moved into sixth place with a rating of 95. Afghanistan are now just one point behind them.
Zimbabwe gained two rating points after reaching the final. However, they stayed in 11th place. Bangladesh lost two points after failing to win a match in the tri-series but remained ninth.
India continue to lead the ODI rankings. They have a rating of 115. New Zealand are second with 109, while South Africa are third with 104.
Pakistan are fourth with 103, followed by Australia on 102.
Afghanistan’s rise to seventh is a major boost for their ODI side. Their strong performance in the UAE has also put them firmly ahead of England in the latest rankings.
