The ICC has announced this morning that Scotland women are currently ranked 11th in the inaugural 46-team table, making them the top ranked Associate Member, which follows the decision earlier this year to award international status to all T20 matches between Member countries.
All women’s T20 matches between Members have international status since the Asia Cup in June and the new rankings system will help teams gauge where they stand in the shortest format of the game. Teams will have to play six T20I matches in the previous three to four years to remain on the rankings table.
The system moves away from the combined rankings in place earlier and there is now a separate MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings table with 10 teams, in line with the men’s rankings, which are separate for each format.
‘The new rankings will provide incentive for teams to play regularly and mark their progress globally’ ‘The new rankings will provide incentive for teams to play regularly and mark their progress globally’
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson:“We are committed to growing the game and T20 is the vehicle through which we’ll do this. Global rankings and international status for all T20 games between Members is a huge step forward and will contribute to our efforts to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. The new rankings will provide incentive for teams to play regularly and mark their progress globally. I wish teams all the best.”
Australia, who were top-ranked in the combined rankings system, are now ranked number one in both forms of the game and lead trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand by three points in the T20I rankings table. Australia are on 280 points, New Zealand on 277 while England are just a further one point behind with 276 points.
Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce:“We are all delighted and I think it shows what a great direction the women’s game is moving in. I think it will make a huge difference to Scottish cricket as it will open up opportunities to play against high quality nations more often.
“I think having ranking points will make it more appealing for other nations to play against us, and hopefully with the increase in highly competitive matches, with something at stake every time, will improve the standard of women’s cricket across the board.”
