Australia vs South Africa at the WACA December 2005. Photo: Wikipedia
South Africa has strengthened its position as the number-one ranked Test side after the annual update of the Reliance ICC Test Championship Table.
The Proteas have gained seven ratings points, lifting them to 135 ratings points – 19 ratings points clear of second-ranked India.
The annual update ensures that the Reliance ICC Test Championship Table continues to reflect recent form, with older results being discarded.
At the recent ICC Board meeting, it was decided that the annual update to the Test, ODI and T20I rankings should now take place on 1 May each year, rather than 1 August, since this better aligns with the current international calendar.
This change has been incorporated in the latest update, and has been backdated to 1 May 2013.
The updated table now reflects all Test series completed after 1 August 2010.
All series played until the start of May 2014 will be added to this table, so that by May 2014, the ratings will be based on just under four years of results, with series completed prior to 1 August 2012 weighted at 50 per cent and subsequent results valued at 100 per cent.
South Africa’s extended lead at the top of the table is due to its outstanding form in the Test arena, where it has not lost a Test match for 18 months and has not lost a Test series during the entire rankings period.
In 2012-2013 (the period in which results are weighted at 100 per cent), South Africa has remained unbeaten, defeating England 2-0, Australia 1-0, New Zealand 2-0 and Pakistan 3-0.
