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India, Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa in tussle to make WTC final
Percentage points: 55.56, series remaining: South Africa (two away Tests), Australia (two at home)
Percentage points: 74.24, series remaining: New Zealand (three home), Australia (five away)
Their stunning win in Kanpur has further strengthened India’s position at the top of the table . Wins in each of their remaining eight Tests will take them to 85.09%, but the more realistic aim for them will be to make sure that they get enough points to seal their place in the WTC final regardless of other results. For that, they need at least four wins and two draws (56 points), which will take them to 67.54. South Africa can get up to 69.44 if they win each of their remaining six Tests, but Australia can only reach 64.04 with four wins and two draws (assuming they lose one to India and draw two, and win the other four Tests).
If India get fewer than 56 points, then there is a possibility of them not being in the top two. For instance, if they win four and draw one (52 points), then it’s possible for Australia and South Africa to overtake them.
Sri Lanka can finish with more than 67% too, but wins for them will be at the expense of points for both Australia and South Africa. That will work in India’s favour as Australia and South Africa could then both finish below India.
Bangladesh
Percentage points: 34.38, series remaining: West Indies (two away), SA (two home)
The two defeats in India have hurt Bangladesh badly – from 45.83% they have dropped to 34.38. Even if they win each of their four remaining Tests, they will only improve to 56.25. Even that is unlikely to be enough for a place in the top two.
New Zealand
Percentage points: 37.50, series remaining: India (three away), England (three home)
Though New Zealand can theoretically still finish with a percentage as high as 64.29 if they win all six Tests, recent form suggests they won’t get anywhere close to that number. That’s because three of those Tests are in India – easily the toughest assignment in Test cricket – on the back of a 2-0 drubbing in Sri Lanka. Even if they win four of those six Tests and lose two, they will finish at only 50%.
Australia
Percentage points: 62.50, series remaining: India (five home), Sri Lanka (two away)
Currently in second place at 62.5%, Australia can finish on a maximum of 76.32 if they win each of their remaining seven Tests. The two teams against whom they play their remaining series, India and Sri Lanka, are also strong contenders for the final, so wins against them will doubly help Australia’s cause. Five wins will lift their percentage to 65.79, but India and South Africa can still go past them. Things will be clearer by the time they start the series against India, though, as the visitors would have finished their three home Tests against New Zealand.
South Africa
Percentage points: 38.89, series remaining: SL (two home), Pak (two home), Ban (two away)
If South Africa win each of their six remaining Tests they will finish with 69.44%, which will surely be enough for qualification, as only one out of India or Australia can go past that number. Five wins and a draw will leave them with 63.89, which will still keep them in contention, while five wins and a defeat will lower the percentage marginally to 61.11, which will still give them a chance if other results go their way.
England
Percentage points: 42.19, series remaining: Pak (three away), NZ (three away)
England’s unexpected defeat in the finalTest against Sri Lanka means they can no longer breach the 60% mark in this cycle. The maximum they can achieve with wins in their six remaining Tests is 57.95. For them to qualify with that score, they will need several other results to work in their favour.
Pakistan
Percentage points: 19.05, series remaining: England (three home), South Africa (two away), WI (two home)
Pakistan’s shambolic series against Bangladesh – not only did they lose 2-0, they also dropped six points due to slow over rates – means their percentage has dropped from 36.66% at the start of the series to 19.05. From here, the maximum they can achieve is 59.52, if they win each of their seven remaining Tests. Their recent performances don’t suggest that Pakistan will get close to achieving this.
West Indies
Percentage: 18.52, series remaining: Bangladesh (two home), Pakistan (two away)
West Indies have already played four series and have only scored 20 points out of 108. Even if they win their last four Tests, they can only finish on 43.59%.
Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader, just over a week after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , in joint United States-Israeli strikes that have.plunged the entire region into a sprawling war.
The 56-year-old, who will now be charged with leading the Islamic Republic through the biggest crisis in its 47-year history, was named by clerics as his father’s successor on Sunday.
Key leaders, Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the armed forces were quick to pledge their backing to the new leader.
Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who has been tasked with steering Iran’s security strategy since the US and Israel launched their all-out offensive, called for unity around the new supreme leader.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf welcomed the choice, saying that following the new supreme leader was a “religious and national duty”.
Mojtaba Khamenei has never run for office or been subjected to a public vote, but has for decades been a highly influential figure in the inner circle of the supreme leader, cultivating deep ties to the IRGC.
In recent years, Khamenei has increasingly been touted as a top potential replacement for his father. His selection could be a sign that more hardline factions in Iran’s establishment retain power, and could indicate that the government has little desire to agree to a deal or negotiations in the short term as the war enters its second week.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem described Khamenei as his “father’s gatekeeper”.
“He adopts the positions of his father with respect to the United States, with respect to Israel. So we are expecting a confrontational leader. We’re not expecting any moderation,” he said.
“However, if this war comes to an end and he is still alive, and he is able to continue running the country, there is going to be big potential… to find new routes for Iran,” Hashem said.
(Aljazeera)
Global oil prices have jumped above $100 (£75.11) a barrel for the first time since 2022 as the escalating US-Israeli war with Iran has fuelled fears of prolonged disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran on Sunday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader, signalling that a week into the conflict hardliners remain in charge of the country.
The US and Israel launched fresh waves of airstrikes across Iran over the weekend, hitting multiple targets including oil depots.
Major disruption to energy supplies from the region threatens to push up prices for consumers and businesses around the world.
Early on Monday in Asia, Brent crude was around 15.5% higher at $107.16, while Nymex light sweet was up by more than 17% at $106.77.
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region fell sharply in early trading on Monday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index down by more than 5% and the ASX 200 in Australia more than 3.5% lower.
Many in the markets predicted that oil would hit the $100 a barrel mark this week.
In the event it took about a minute to jump 10%, and then another 15 minutes to rise a further 10% in early Asian trading.
Last week the markets had been relatively relaxed about the seeming nightmare scenario for millions of barrels of crude and liquefied natural gas trapped in the Gulf, unable or unwilling to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
But the escalations over the weekend, alongside scenes of destruction of energy infrastructure both in Iran and across the Gulf, saw the markets take rapid fright.
The question now is where does this go? Some analysts argue that if the shutdown in the strait lasts until the end of March, we could see record oil prices above $150 a barrel.
The existing rise is likely to further increase petrol prices, and those of important derivative products such as jet fuel and vital precursors for fertilisers.
The physical supplies from the Gulf are mainly consumed in Asia.
Already however there are signs that Asian consumers are bidding up prices for US gas, with some tankers originally heading for Europe turning around in the mid-Atlantic.
US President Donald Trump responded to the jump in prices by saying that short term rises were a “small price to pay” for removing Iran’s nuclear threat.
His energy secretary told US broadcasters on Sunday that Israel, not the US, was targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure, amid some concern about rising domestic pump prices caused by the war.
(BBC)
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