Top of the Table Ashes Clash

As if the Ashes series later this year needed any added excitement, with Australia seeking to regain the Ashes after their 20-year grip was broken in one of the most dramatic and exciting series ever, it will be contested between the top two teams in the ICC Championship table after England regained second spot with their series win over Pakistan.

Eleven points behind Australia, England even have a chance of moving into first position, but to do this they need to win by three, an extremely difficult ask against Australia, particularly at home, where Australia haven’t been beaten since 1992-93 at the hands of the West Indies.

Pakistan meanwhile have sunk to third place with their defeat in England, just head of India in fourth.

In the individual rankings, Ricky Ponting remains on top of the test batting list ahead of India’s Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan moves into third on the back of a prolific tour of England. Yousuf’s team-mate Younis Khan is fourth.

The bowling rankings are unchanged from last month with Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan retaining the number one spot with Makhaya Ntini of South Africa in second and Shane Warne in third.