KATHMANDU, Oct 13: The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched a global ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings on Friday. Nepal women team found a place in 18th position with 117 points as Australia lead the table with New Zealand and England following at second and third positions.
Nepal is below the likes of Thailand and Uganda which are in 12th and 15th positions respectively whereas above Namibia, Netherlands and Hong Kong which are in 26, 23 and 21st positions in the 46-team rankings table. The list includes nine sides from Europe, 14 from Asia, 13 from Africa, four each from East Asia Pacific and the Americas, apart from Australia and the West Indies.
Nepal women team remains inactive since the suspension of Cricket Association of Nepal.
Four Nepali players feature in ICC T20I player rankings table
“The new rankings will provide incentive for teams to play regularly and mark their progress globally. I wish teams all the best,” said David Richardson, ICC Chief Executive Officer.
Three-time ICC Women’s World Twenty20 champions Australia lead the table, which follows the decision earlier this year to award international status to all T20 matches between Member countries. Scotland are the top ranked Associate Member in 11th, while Thailand take 12th place in the first table following some good performances of late, including a win over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup earlier this year.
All women’s T20 matches between Members have international status since the Asia Cup in June and the new rankings system will help teams gauge where they stand in the shortest format of the game. Teams will have to play six T20I matches in the previous three to four years to remain on the rankings table.
Australia, who were top-ranked in the combined rankings system, are now ranked number one in both forms of the game and lead trans-Transman rivals New Zealand by three points in the T20I rankings table. Australia are on 280 points, New Zealand on 277 while England are just a further one point behind with 276 points.
The Windies, who will defend their ICC Women’s World T20 title at home from 9-24 November, are ranked fourth with 259 points and India are a further 10 points behind in fifth place. The next five teams on the table – South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ireland – complete the lineup for the West Indies event.
