England have risen in the Test rankings but dropped in ODIs following the ICC’s annual team rankings update.
While the ICC’s rankings update after every game or series played depending on the format, there is also an annual refresh in order to reduce the weighting given to games played more than a year back, and remove those played more than three years back altogether.
The update means that all the England Test matches included have been played under Brendon McCullum as head coach, and they paint a promising picture for his tenure. England won one Test out of 14 in the 12 months before McCullum took over, which have now been removed from consideration. England have lost just two series under McCullum, in India and Pakistan, winning six – against New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka at home, and in New Zealand and Pakistan. They have also drawn series against New Zealand and Australia, and won one-off Tests against India and Ireland.
Kevin Pietersen has expressed disappointment over missing the chance to work with Harry Brook at Delhi Capitals.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 4, 2025
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England’s move up to second is in contrast to their struggles in the World Test Championship, in which they have never seriously threatened making the final. Two factors at play are over-rate penalties, which affect the WTC but not the rankings, and the strength of opposition England play. Regularly playing 10 Tests against India and Australia isn’t taken into account in the WTC, where each Test a side plays is worth the same amount, but does matter in the rankings, with wins against higher-rated opposition worth more.
Another factor is India’s relatively poor year in Tests in 2024, losing 0-3 to New Zealand at home and conceding the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014/15. They have slipped to fourth, with South Africa in third.
In ODIs, England have slipped to eighth following group stage exits at consecutive ICC global tournaments. They finished seventh at the 2023 World Cup and were the only team to lose all three of their games in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Between the two, they lost four consecutive ODI series, two to the West Indies, and one each to Australia and India. England sit just above the West Indies and Bangladesh, and one point below Afghanistan.
Also read: Brendon McCullum: England's biggest issue is they care too much and are too hard on themselves
England have not suffered a malaise to the same degree in T20Is, qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup. While their 2022 T20 World Cup triumph has reduced weighting, it is still in the ICC’s cut-off.
