The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : It's Australia v World XI in ICC Super Series

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 09, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

It's Australia v World XI in ICC Super Series

LONDON, FEB. 8. Australia has confirmed its participation in the ICC Super Series one-day matches in Melbourne in October 2005 with a thumping victory over Pakistan in the tri-series final.

Australia, which won the best-of-three finals 2-0 on Sunday, has taken its rating points to 137 and the second-placed New Zealand has no chance to overhaul it before the April 1, 2005 deadline, ICC said in a release here.

The ICC Super Series will pitch the best team in the world against an ICC World XI in three-one day matches and one Super Test.

This also means that Australia will take on the ICC World XI in both forms of the game, having secured its Test berth with a series win over Pakistan last month.

Australia's dominance of One Day International cricket has seen it build up a 17-point lead over New Zealand in the ODI Championship table.

Even if New Zealand wins all five of its forthcoming home matches against Australia in February and March, it will still fall one point short of its rival — 129 points to Australia's 130, the release said.

McGrath on top

In the ICC Player Rankings, Glenn McGrath has climbed to the top of the official bowling rankings, a position he also holds in the Test rankings. McGrath's compatriot Brett Lee climbed from seventh to sixth, while Jason Gillespie remained in fifth position.

It was a less successful series for Australia's batsmen. With Michael Clarke slipping to 12th position in the rankings it leaves only Adam Gilchrist (fourth) and Ricky Ponting (seventh) in the top ten.

South Africa's Jacques Kallis continues to hold top spot in the ODI batting rankings. After two wins and a tie in the first four matches of its home series against England, South Africa has closed the gap on England from 10 points to four points.

If it can win the remaining three matches it will overtake England and snatch fifth place in the ODI Championship table, the release added. — PTI

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