Dubai: The next couple of weeks promise to provide a continuation of exciting international cricket as the six top-ranked sides in the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings go head to head with one eye on next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, now just 175 days away.


On Saturday, Hambantota will host the first of three matches between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, while in Harare on Monday, the tri-series between Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe gets underway with the opening match between the host and Australia. Also on Monday, Bristol will stage the first ODI of the five-match series between England and India.


In the meantime, eighth-ranked West Indies is already involved in its series against ninth-ranked Bangladesh, and leads the three-match series 1-0. This series concludes on Monday.


There is a lot to play for in the 17 matches scheduled over the next 16 days. Not only are the six top sides separated by just 15 ratings points, but the captains and the coaches will have their sights firmly set on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which kicks off in Christchurch and Melbourne on 14 February.


Furthermore, these matches will provide excellent opportunities to younger players to impress the selectors with their mettle and prowess, and strengthen their claims for places in sides for ICC’s pinnacle ODI event.


There is further context to these matches as Pakistan and India will be hoping to avenge their defeat in their respective Test series. Sri Lanka won both its matches against Pakistan while England came from behind to wrap up the series against India 3-1. While doing so, both England and Sri Lanka moved ahead of their respective opponents in the Reliance ICC Test Team Championship table.


In Harare, Australia and South Africa will do battle for the number-one position in the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings, with Michael Clarke’s men sitting on top of the tree, and South Africa just three ratings points behind. The two teams are also at loggerheads for the number-one position in the Reliance ICC Test Team Championship, with South Africa ahead by just one ratings point.


To find out exactly how forthcoming series will affect the Rankings Table, please click here. The ODI and T20I Rankings tables, unlike the Test Rankings Table, are updated after every match.


There are battles within battles when the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings are taken into account.


South Africa captain Hashim Amla has regained the number-one batting spot from team-mate AB de Villiers in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, following his scores of 122 not out and 15 against Zimbabwe. But his lead over de Villiers is just one ratings point, with India’s Virat Kohli another point behind in third spot.


With three points separating the top three batsmen, any batsman producing strong performances in the forthcoming matches could finish on top of the table. If the trio fails and fourth-ranked George Bailey of Australia gets a few big scores, then the tide could potentially sway in favour of the former Australia U19 captain, who can surge to the top of the charts for the first time in his career.


As many as nine batsmen inside the top 10 will feature in the forthcoming matches. Apart from Amla, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq also feature inside the top 10 in sixth and ninth positions, respectively. England captain Alastair Cook is in 20th position and Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews is 22nd.


In the ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal holds the number-one position. He leads West Indies’ Sunil Narine by 71 ratings points, with England’s James Anderson hoping to continue with his rich form with the ball and leapfrog the West Indies spinner, whom he trails by 12 ratings points.


The Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI All-rounders is headed by Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez, with the top five also including Angelo Mathews in third place and Ravindra Jadeja of India in fourth.