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ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 hosts England would be looking to maintain their position at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings in upcoming matches that include a high-profile five-ODI series against World champions Australia.
England take on Scotland at Edinburgh on Sunday before playing at home against their arch-rivals from 13 to 24 June, a series that will help the teams’ preparations for the mega event that runs from 30 May to 14 July next year at 11 venues across England and Wales.
Though Lord’s, where the two sides are slated to meet in their World Cup league match on 25 June next year, is not a venue, the series will provide both sides an opportunity to gauge the conditions as the countdown begins to the 10-team event.
England, who overtook India to grab the top ODI spot after the annual update on 2 May, are comfortably ahead of Australia and will remain at the top even if they lose the Australia series by a 2-3 margin provided they win the one-off match against Scotland. However, in such a scenario, they will be tied with India on 122 points and ahead only on decimal points.
On the other hand, if England kick off with a loss to Scotland, they will have to win the series against fifth-ranked Australia or else lose the top position to India, who are presently three points behind England at 122 points. A 2-3 loss to Australia in such a scenario will see them slide to 120 points. If England lose to Scotland, they will start the Australia series with 123 points while Scotland, who last week made it to the expanded 16-team points table, will gain five points and move up to 33 points.
Australia will not be able to overtake the opposition even if England lose all their six upcoming matches but Australia could go up to third position if they complete a 5-0 whitewash over England.
Reuters: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has joined the Australian coaching staff for the side’s five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international game against England in June.
Ponting joins former teammate Justin Langer, who was appointed coach of the team on a four-year term after Darren Lehmann resigned in the wake of a ball-tampering scandal in March.
“Ricky is one of the greats of the game, and since he was already in England doing some commentary we saw it as a great opportunity to have him join our team for this important series,” Langer said in a statement.
Ponting has served as assistant coach for the T20 side twice before, against Sri Lanka in 2017 and for the tri-series against New Zealand and England earlier this year.
He was also head coach of the Delhi Daredevils side in the Indian Premier League this year.
“Ricky’s knowledge of the game is second-to-none, and we know that his experiences, tactical expertise and leadership will be invaluable for this group,” Langer added.
The three-times World Cup winner will begin his assignment on 10 June, working around his commentary commitments.
