Cricket Buzz: India retain fourth position in ICC Test rankings

India have retained their fourth position in the ICC Test rankings despite a loss in the third cricket Test England at Southampton with the five-match series currently locked at 1-1.

After drawing the first Test, India posted a victory in the second match at Lord's but went down in the third. Despite the defeat, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men have maintained their fourth spot at 102 rating points.

The final rankings of both India and England (ranked 5th with 100 rating points) will heavily depend on the upcoming two-Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, which will commence in Galle from August 6.

Pakistan are currently ranked third with 103 ratings points, just one point more than India, while Sri Lanka are at sixth position with 95 points.

The five-Test series between India and England will end a day after the series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan finishes, and all the teams would be looking to climb up the ladder.

Meanwhile, South Africa will be aiming to keep their No 1 position intact when they take on Zimbabwe in a one-off Test in Harare from August 9.

- NEXT: ‘Misbah should bat at No 3 in One-Dayers’

With an eye on the World Cup in 2015, Pakistan's Test and ODI captain, Misbah-ul-Haq should change his batting position in One-Day Internationals, Pakistan's senior batsman, Mohammad Yousuf has affirmed.

"If Pakistan is to do well in the next World Cup and in the One-Day Internationals before that Misbah has to change his batting position and lead the team by example," he said.

"I would advise Misbah to bat at number three in One-Day Internationals because his batting style is not helping the team in this format when he comes lower down the order."

The former captain said despite the fact that conditions in one-dayers were now loaded in favour of the batsmen, Misbah just had a strike rate of 73 in this format.

"Things are much more comfortable for the batsmen in one-dayers these days with so many power plays and five fielders inside the circle and Misbah as captain has to take advantage of these things. If Misbah takes and initiative and bats at number three and gets some quick runs he can help the team more than he is doing now."

Yousuf said it didn't really matter on which position Misbah batted in Test matches.

"If we talk about doing well in the World Cup then Misbah has to take the lead. I also feel that

Pakistan team management should not waste a talented player like Asad Shafiq and he should be a regular member of the Test and ODI sides. I am surprised that while they have not considered Asad for the ODIs in Sri Lanka they have brought back Umar Akmal in Test matches as well.

"It makes no sense to me. Are they thinking about going into the World Cup without a specialist keeper it would be a disaster," he added.

Yousuf recently has obtained a business visa for the United Kingdom where he intends to set up business.

The visa obtained at a cost of 200,000 pounds would mean that Yousuf will have to spend at least six months in a year in the UK for business purposes.

The senior batsman who has been sidelined from the national team since 2010 said Pakistan team management needed on bringing consistency and stability to the batting order before the World Cup.

"I have played in Australia and New Zealand and if the batsmen don't score there than you can't expect to do well in this mega event," Yousuf stated.

"That is why I say it is important for Misbah to lead by example in ODIs and change his batting order."

- NEXT: Ganguly planning pre-season meet

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is planning to start a pre-season invitational tournament on the lines of Buchi Babu Trophy in Chennai and Moin-ud Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad.

"This will give Bengal side a good exposure in the build up to the season. It should be on the lines of Buchi Babu but nothing has been finalised," a CAB official who was with the newly-elected joint secretary during a marathon three hours meeting said.

As Ganguly will be off to London on Tuesday for commentary in the Manchester Test beginning August 7, the former cricketer met the CAB official and former Bengal pacer Ranadeb Bose.

"Everything will be finalized after he comes back in the last week of August," he said.

Among other decisions taken, Bengal squad will leave for Chennai on August 10 for the Buchi Babu invitational meet to begin their pre-season campaign.