South Africa hope to retain No 1 Test spot

If the South Africa-Pakistan series is drawn level at 0-0, it would be enough for the Proteas to guarantee themselves the No.1 spot at the April 1 cut-off date for retaining the ICC Test Championship mace and prize money for the top-ranked team.

South Africa is currently placed at

the top of the table with 124 ratings points, six ratings ahead of England.

South Africa would thus have an opportunity to not only become richer by $450,000 (`2.4cr) but also to retain the Reliance ICC Test Championship mace, irrespective of how the other series before the cut-off date pan out.

There are three more series lined up before the April 1 cut-off date. India hosts Australia for a four-match series from Feb 22, NZ plays the first of a three-match series against England on March 6 in Dunedin, and West Indies plays Zimbabwe in the first of a two-match series on March 16.

Only a 3-0 series win for Pakistan could see South Africa slip to third position with 117 ratings points, pushing England to the top with Australia in second place.

India are placed fifth in the table with 105 rating points behind arch-rivals Pakistan (109 points). A total of $3.8 million (`20.2cr) in prize money will be shared among the top four sides on April 1, 2013, 2014 and 2015, after the ICC Board approved a proposal earlier this year to substantially increase incentives in the form of prize money to promote Test cricket in the period leading up to the ICC Test Championship event in 2017.

Previously, the top team in the ICC Test rankings received a cheque for $175,000.

Amla?s time

SA batsman Hashim Amla has an opportunity to claim the No.1 ranking on the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen for the first time in his career when he takes to the field against Pakistan in the first Test of the three-match series in Johannesburg from February 1. On the bowlers? chart, Dale Steyn is just five points away from breaking the 900 points barrier for the second time in his career.

Source: http://feeds.hindustantimes.com/~r/HT-Cricket-TopStories/~3/GoclOpDkk0w/story01.htm

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