Pak aim to gain points on ICC ODI rankings

Pakistan will be aiming to continue their recent Test momentum into the four-match ODI series against England as they bid to gain crucial points on the ICC ODI Team Rankings.

Pakistan are currently at the eight spot with 88 points while England are at the sixth place with 100 points. With England, seven other top-ranked sides, set to qualify directly for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, the only way Pakistan can move up the order is by winning matches against the higher-ranked sides.

As such, a 4-0 series win against England will earn Pakistan five points, while a 3-1 victory will mean a gain of three rankings points. It will earn only one point if the series ends in a two-all draw.

If England sweeps the series, like it did in 2012, then Pakistan will drop to 86 points, while it will concede one point if England wins 3-1.

As far as England is concerned, it can rise to as high as 102 points, but will slip behind Bangladesh in seventh place by a fraction of a point, if it loses 4-0 and Bangladesh wins the third ODI against Zimbabwe on Monday.

Pakistan's last series win against England was on home ground in December 2005 when it won 3-2.