Pakistan aim to reduce gap with number-one ranked Sri Lanka

Friday, 23 August 2013 01:36 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

LAHORE: Pakistan begins its two-match Twenty20 International series against host Zimbabwe on August 23 (Friday) with an aim to reduce the gap with number-one ranked Sri Lanka on the Reliance ICC T20I Rankings Table.

The two-match series starts in Harare on 23 August, with the second match scheduled to be held on 24 August. Currently ranked second with 124 ratings points, Mohammad Hafeez’s side can gain one ratings point if it wins both the matches, to finish with 125 ratings points and thereby reduce the gap with number-one ranked Sri Lanka (128) to three. Zimbabwe too has an opportunity to move up, and will jump one place to 11th if it wins both matches in the series. Zimbabwe is currently ranked 12th with 48 ratings points, and can gain up to 16 ratings points to move into 11th with 64 ratings points. Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez will start the series with an all-round presence on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20Is. Hafeez is currently ranked second on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20I All-rounders with a career-high 432 ratings points, and is also fourth in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20I Bowlers and 17th in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20I Batsmen. In the bowling table, Saeed Ajmal in second and Shahid Afridi in 11th are the other Pakistan players inside the top 20 who will be seen in action during the two-match series. For Zimbabwe, spinner Prosper Utseya is the only bowler inside the top 10, in ninth position. The bowlers’ list is still headed by West Indies’ Sunil Narine, with Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis in third. In the batting table, Hamilton Masakadza is the highest ranked batsman from Zimbabwe, currently placed at 14th. The Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20I Batsmen is still headed by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, followed by England’s Alex Hales in second place and Australia’s Shane Watson in third spot.