Australia, england, south africa and west indies eye gains

[[JUGRAJ SINGH]]

Four of the top eight sides on the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings Table will be seen in action in six matches in the upcoming fortnight, in the final tune-up ahead of ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, scheduled to be held from 16 March to 6 April.

Third-ranked South Africa on 123 ratings points plays ICC World Twenty20 2010 runner-up Australia (110) in sixth place from 9 March at Port Elizabeth. Meanwhile, ICC World Twenty20 2012 champion fifth-placed West Indies (111) takes on England (105) in eighth position, winner of the 2010 edition, also from 9 March at Bridgetown, Barbados.

Sri Lanka is the number-one ranked side with 129 ratings points. Only eight ratings points separate the top four sides, with India (123 points), South Africa (123 points) and Pakistan (121 points) close on the heels of the number-one ranked side.

Hence, just before the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, a bit of movement is expected on the table.

With both series (South Africa v Australia and West Indies v England) being held simultaneously, results in either will affect sides’ movements.

Both Australia and England have an opportunity to make upward movements if they win all matches in their respective series. Australia can rise two places to fourth, whereas England can move up two places to sixth.

South Africa can rise a place to second if it wins all the matches against Australia, whereas West Indies and England will retain its pre-series positions if Darren Sammy’s side wins the series 3-0.

A loss for any of the four sides will see a number of changes in the table.

To find out exactly how the forthcoming series will affect the Rankings Table, please click here. The ODI and T20I Rankings tables, unlike the Test Rankings Table, are updated after every match.

Meanwhile, Alex Hales in second position will start off as the highest-ranked batsman on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20I batsmen in the matches scheduled to be played.

Aaron Finch in third, Shane Watson (eighth) and David Warner (ninth) are the other batsmen within the top 10 who are likely to be in action.

The other batsmen inside the top 20 likely to be in action are JP Duminy (12th), Chris Gayle (16th), Faf du Plessis (17th) and Marlon Samuels (20th).

Outside the top 20, the batsmen likely to be seen in action are Cameron White (25th), George Bailey (29th), Dwayne Bravo (30th), Luke Wright (36th), AB de Villiers (38th), Hashim Amla (40th), Lendl Simmons (43rd), Michael Lumb (47th), Ravi Bopara (55th) and Quinton de Kock (58th).

West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, number-one ranked bowler on the Reliance ICC Player Ranking for T20I bowlers will lead the field in the coming fortnight and hope to consolidate his lead at the top.

Narine will be seen in action against West Indies. Inside the top 10 the only other bowler likely to be in action is South Africa's Lonwabo Tsotsobe (seventh) against Australia.

Outside the top 10, the bowlers likely to play are Stuart Broad (13th), Samuel Badree (15th), Jade Dernbach (19th), Shane Watson (25th), Mitchell Starc (26th), Darren Sammy (27th), Morne Morkel (30th), Tim Bresnan (35th), Wayne Parnell (38th), Dwayne Bravo (47th), Ravi Rampaul (57th) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (68th).

About ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014

As many as 35 tournament matches will be played across Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet in the 22-day tournament. The format for the men’s event has been changed following an increase in teams from 12 to 16.

As the teams’ seeding are based on the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings Table as of 8 October 2012, the top eight sides following the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 will play directly in the Super 10 stage, while Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, which finished outside the top eight, will participate in the first round that will be held from 16-21 March.

The first round of the men’s event will include eight sides that will be divided into two groups of four teams each, with the table-toppers progressing to the Super 10 stage.

The Super 10 stage will start with an evening match between former champions India and Pakistan in Dhaka onFriday 21 March.

The two groups of the Super 10 stage are:

Super 10 (S10) Groups (Based on teams’ rankings on the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings as on 8 October 2012)

Group 1 – Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Group B Qualifier 1 (Q1B)

Group 2 – West Indies, India, Pakistan, Australia, Group A Qualifier 1 (Q1A)

Reigning champion the West Indies will launch its title defence against India in an evening match on Sunday 23 March. Earlier on the same day, Pakistan will lock horns with Australia, which is looking for the only global title that its has not bagged.

If Bangladesh reaches the Super 10 stage, it will play all its matches in Dhaka, facing the West Indies on 25 March, India on 28 March, Pakistan on 30 March and Australia on 1 April.

This is the third time that the men’s and women’s competitions will be played alongside each other, with the women’s semi-finals and final held on the same day as the men’s, and at the same venue.

The first round matches of the women’s event will take place in Sylhet from 23 March to 2 April, with the semi-finals and final played in Dhaka from 3 to 6 April.

Forthcoming fixtures:

South Africa v Australia

9 March: 1st T20I, Port Elizabeth

12 March: 2nd T20I, Durban (d/n)

14 March: 3rd T20I, Centurion (d/n)

West Indies v England

9 March: 1st T20I, Bridgetown, Barbados

11 March: 2nd T20I, Bridgetown, Barbados

13 March: 3rd T20I, Bridgetown, Barbados

Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings (as of 7 March before South Africa v Australia and West Indies v England series)

Rank Team Rating

1 Sri Lanka 129

2 India 123

3 South Africa 123

4 Pakistan 121

5 West Indies 111

6 Australia 110

7 New Zealand 108

8 England 105

9 Ireland 91

10 Bangladesh 70

11 Afghanistan 70

12 Netherlands 56

13 Scotland 50

14 Zimbabwe 46

15 Kenya 42

16 Canada 2