Pakistan fall to lowest-ever spot in ICC ODI rankings

Pakistan's hopes of an automatic World Cup qualification got tougher after plummeted to their lowest-ever rating of 86 following their five-match ODI series loss against England.

Pakistan, who have dropped to 9 in the rankings, lost the series against England 1-4.

Despite the four-wicket consolation win in the fifth and final one-dayer on Sunday, Pakistan are in serious danger of failing to qualify automatically for the World Cup 2019 as they are now eight points behind eighth-ranked West Indies.

Pakistan had started the series on 87 points and this is their lowest-ever points tally since the current rankings system was introduced in 2001.

With Pakistan's forthcoming ODI series being against the West Indies and Australia, they no have a mountain to climb to keep alive chances of qualifying automatically for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

However, Australia and England have consolidated their positions on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings after completing identical 4-1 series victories over their respective oppositions in the series which ended on Sunday.

Australia, who scored a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final match in Pallekele, have moved from 123 points to 124 points, and in doing so, has opened up an 11-point advantage over New Zealand.

They will now aim to reclaim the ICC Champions Trophy title when it is staged next year in the United Kingdom.

Sri Lanka were unmoved on sixth position but dropped a point to finish on 101 points.

Sri Lanka's one-point drop will interest seventh-placed Bangladesh, who is now just three points behind their Asian rivals and have two three-match ODI series, each against Afghanistan and England coming up.

If Bangladesh win all the three matches against Afghanistan, and pull off a series win against England, then they will move to sixth – their highest-ever ranking

The series win against Pakistan has seen England move from 106 points to 107 points in fifth position – three behind India and South Africa, who are at 110 points each, with India ranked ahead of South Africa on decimal points.

England and the seven highest-ranked sides on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings as on 30 September 2017 will qualify directly for the ICC's pinnacle 50-over tournament, while the remaining two sides will progress from the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018.

Image: Pakistan's ODI captain Azhar Ali

Photograph: Sarah Ansell/Getty Images