Australia slip to 34-year low in One-Day rankings

LONDON: Defeats in the first two One-Day Internationals against England have sent Australia tumbling to a 34-year low in the International Cricket Council rankings.

They have slipped to sixth place, and will need to win at least one of the three remaining games in the series to climb back above Pakistan to fifth.

According to cricket. com.au, the last time Australia found themselves in sixth position was back in January 1984.

Australia’s rankings situation reflects their downturn as an ODI side since beating Pakistan in a home series in January 2017. Thereafter, they have lost 13 of their 15 completed ODIs, in which time they have lost three successive bilateral series — to New Zealand, India and England — and exited the Champions Trophy at the group stage.

Meanwhile, England all-rounder Ben Stokes and paceman Chris Woakes will miss the remainder of the One-Day International series with Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Monday.

Stokes’ hamstring injury — which he suffered in the lead-up to the second Test with Pakistan — the ECB says is progressing well and is hopeful the 27-year-old will be

fit for the T20 series with India next month.

“He can bat fully and is now able to run at 90 percent capacity,” read a statement from the ECB.

“He will commence his return to bowling programme this week.

“The plan is for Ben to continue his rehabilitation programme with the England squad during the 4th and 5th ODIs (against Australia on Thursday and Sunday) at Riverside and Old Trafford.”

Woakes, 29, injured a thigh muscle during the second Test with Pakistan at the beginning of June which the ECB says “was at least in part due to a flare-up of a chronic right knee problem”.

Aside from missing the ODI series with Australia he will also miss the lone Twenty20 International against Australia at Edgbaston, on June 27 and the three T20s at home to India in July.

“He (Woakes) has had an injection for the knee issue last Monday and will now undertake a rehabilitation and conditioning programme to address both injuries,” read the ECB statement.

“A date for return cannot be specified at this stage, but he will not be available before the India ODI series.”

The three-match One-Day series against India starts at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on July 12.