The Pakistan cricket team runs the risk of not qualifying directly for the ICC World Cup 2019 to be held in the United Kingdom.
Host England and seven highest-ranked sides on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings, as on 30 September 2017, will qualify directly for the upcoming World Cup to be held from May 30 to July 15, 2019.
According to the latest ODI rankings released by ICC, Pakistan is at eighth position with 89 points, two behind Bangladesh and two ahead of the West Indies.
Pakistan will take on the reigning world champion and number one ranked Australia in a five-match ODI series starting in Brisbane on Friday.
Pakistan needs to win at least one match in the series if it has to maintain its pre-series ranking points.
If Pakistan wins two matches, then it will join Bangladesh at 91 points but will be ranked behind its Asian rivals by a fraction.
In the scenario of Pakistan winning the series, it will move ahead of Bangladesh and, as such, will enhance its chances of qualifying directly for the event it won in Australia in 1992.
However, if Australia wins the series 4-1, it will retain its pre- series points. If it wins 3-2, it will concede one point.
Australia can fall from the top pedestal but to make it happen, Pakistan will have to win by 4-1 or better.
The ODI team rankings, unlike the Test rankings, are updated after each match and the ODI predictor function is available here.
The four bottom-ranked sides will be joined by six teams from the ICC World Cricket League in the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 and the top two sides will complete the 10-team World Cup line-up.
