West Indies take hit in T20 rankings

LONDON, England (CMC):

Reigning World champions the Windies have taken a hit in the latest ICC Twenty20 rankings, following their 3-0 whitewash at the hands of powerhouses India. While the Caribbean side remain seventh in the 17-team standings, they have lost four ratings points to slip to 102 points, further narrowing the gap between themselves and eighth-place Afghanistan on 92 points. The Windies suffered a 3-0 clean sweep at the hands of India.

Of the major Test-playing nations, the Windies are now only above Sri Lanka, who languish in ninth on 87 points.

Pakistan top the standings on 138 points, with India second on 127 after picking up three points from their comprehensive series win. Australia are third on 118 points, while England lie fourth on the same number, with New Zealand fifth on 112 and South Africa sixth on 111.

Contrast in fortunes

The Windies won the T20 World Cup two years ago in India when they stunned England in a dramatic final at Eden Gardens.

Since then, however, their decline has been steady, losing six of their eight series and 16 of 26 T20 Internationals since.

Their latest series defeat to India was their fourth straight, leaving them with much rebuilding to do, especially with the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia fast approaching.

The Windies lost the opening match in Kolkata by five wickets, went down in the second by 71 runs in Lucknow, before suffering a heartbreaking six-wicket defeat off the last ball on Sunday in Chennai.

The Carlos Brathwaite-led side will have a chance to improve their standing when they tour Bangladesh next month for a three-match series.

The side also sits eighth in the Test rankings and ninth in the one-day rankings.