Hosts target second place in ODI ratings

The Asia Cup starting in Sri Lanka on Friday provides the last opportunity for sides to improve their position in the ICC One-Day International table before the ratings are updated at the start of August.

Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan are fourth, fifth and sixth in the official table going into the tournament. They are separated by only four ratings points which means that a strong showing from any of the sides should be enough to put them ahead of their regional rivals before the update.

Sri Lanka will be looking to capitalise on its home advantage and, if it can win all of its matches, it will leapfrog New Zealand and South Africa to claim second spot in the official ODI table.

South Africa has been second in the official ODI table since it was launched in October 2002. An indifferent run of form over the last 18 months means that even if Sri Lanka doesn't snatch second place during the Asia Cup, South Africa could still be displaced by one or more better-performing sides when the updated ratings are announced at the end of the tournament.

Bangladesh is the other ICC Full Member taking part in the Asia Cup and by beating Hong Kong should qualify for the second phase of the tournament. If it then goes on to beat one of the Full Member countries it will significantly improve its rating though it will remain bottom of the table.

The matches involving Hong Kong and the UAE will not count towards the ICC ODI Championship table as both countries are only ICC Associate Members. These matches will, however, have One-Day International status.

Full details of the Emirates Elite Panel officials for the Asia Cup are available on the ICC website at the following page:

https://www.icc-cricket.com/umpires-referees/appointments.html

All matches included within the ICC ODI ratings will always fall into one of three time periods.

- Period One covers the first year of matches
- Period Two covers the second year of matches
- Period Three covers the remaining more recent matches

Weightings are applied to these three groups of matches so that the ratings more fully reflect recent form. The weightings are as follows:

- Period One matches have a weighting of one third
- Period Two matches have a weighting of two thirds
- Period Three matches have a weighting of one

After August 2004, the weighting of matches played over the last 12 months will fall to two thirds, then from August 2005 they will have a weighting of just one third. Finally in August 2006, they will drop out of the ratings altogether.