Three-time ICC Women’s World Twenty20 champions Australia lead the inaugural 46-team table, which follows the decision earlier this year to award international status to all T20 matches between member countries. Scotland are the top-ranked associate member in 11th, while Thailand takes 12th place in the first table following some good performances of late, including a win over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in June.

All women’s T20 matches between members have international status since the Asia Cup and the new rankings system will help teams gauge where they stand in the shortest format of the game.

The system moves away from the combined rankings in place earlier and there is now a separate ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings table with 10 teams, in line with the men’s rankings, which are separate for each format.

‘We are committed to growing the game and T20 is the vehicle through which we’ll do this,’ said ICC chief executive David Richardson. ‘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 No 1 in both forms of the game and lead trans-Transman 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.

Australia will, however, have to win their upcoming three-match T20I series from 25-29 October against Pakistan in Malaysia by a 3-0 margin to retain their top ranking. Pakistan will be unable to overtake sixth-ranked South Africa even if they pull off a shock 3-0 win.

The list includes nine sides from Europe, 14 from Asia, 13 from Africa, four each from East Asia Pacific and the Americas, apart from Australia and the West Indies.

Both old and new teams on the rankings table have welcomed the global rankings, which coincide with the annual update and have been introduced with less than a month to go for the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 in the West Indies.

MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings (as of 12 October)

(Developed by David Kendix)

MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings (as of 12 October)

BATTERS (top 20)

 BOWLERS (top 20)

ALL-ROUNDERS (top five)