AGENCIES
DUBAI
West Indies have claimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20 rankings after Sri Lanka, who had largely occupied the top rung since they won the World T20 in 2014, were caned by New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday. West Indies have 118.36 rating points, and are now marginally ahead of both Sri Lanka and Australia who have exactly 118 rating points each.
West Indies have played eight matches since the end of the World T20 in April 2014 and won four of them, including a world record chase against South Africa in January 2015. They gunned down 232 in 19.2 overs. Coincident to that has been Sri Lanka's fall - they have lost five of their last six matches, the latest a nine-wicket drubbing as New Zealand raced to their target of 143 in a mere 10 overs.
Sri Lanka had begun the two-match series with a seven-point lead. Losing it 0-2 meant they were yet to win a T20 series since becoming World T20 champions (although they beat England in a one-off match in May) and were pushed off their No. 1 slot.
West Indies fare far worse in the other formats. They are at No 8 in Tests, after losing the Frank Worrell Trophy 2-0, and No 9 in ODIs.
THE TOP 10
1 West Indies (118 rating points)
2 Sri Lanka (118)
3 Australia (118)
4 England (117)
5 South Africa (115)
6 New Zealand (114)
7 Pakistan (114)
8 India (110)
9 Afghanistan (80)
10 Bangladesh (69)
