Pakistan cling on to top spot in ICC T20I ranking

Pakistan continue to remain the number one-ranked side in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men's T20I Team Rankings, despite winning just one T20I in the entire calendar year of 2019.

The Men in Green had a year to forget even in the format they are most suitable for, managing just a single win in 10 matches. That sole victory, too, had come in a dead rubber against South Africa when the series had already been surrendered.

However, such is the make of the ICC rankings that the team — now led by Babar Azam — is still the number-one ranked T20I side in the world.

The team, after Friday’s update of the list, has 270 points — just one more than Australia who are hot on their heels.

England (265), South Africa (262) and India (260) make up the rest of the top five.

Pakistan and the number one spot in ICC T20I Team Rankings are a familiar duo. The team had first topped the index in 2017 under former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed's leadership and has since remained one of the world's most successful sides in the format — barring 2019.