Fourth-ranked South Africa has a chance to climb up to second position in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings when it hosts number-one ranked world champions Australia in a five-match series from 30 September to 12 October.
A busy limited-overs cricket period, which starts on 25 September with the Bangladesh versus Afghanistan ODI in Mirpur and a one-off South Africa versus Ireland ODI in Benoni and culminates with the third ODI between Bangladesh and England in Mirpur and fifth ODI between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town on 12 October, will see 16 matches being played between eight teams on the ICC ODI rankings with a year to go before the determination of which seven highest-ranked sides along with England will qualify automatically for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
While Australia and South Africa will aim to consolidate their current positions, Bangladesh, the West Indies and Pakistan will target to improve their rankings.
The string of matches start on Sunday with the first of three ODIs between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Mirpur and a one-off ODI between South Africa and Ireland in Benoni. Ireland also gets a match against Australia in Benoni on 27 September, while Pakistan and West Indies will play a three-match series in the United Arab Emirates from 30 September to 5 October. Bangladesh will host England for three ODIs from 7 to 12 October.
World champion Australia is currently on 124 points and without an immediate threat to its top ranking with New Zealand second on 113 points.
But a series win for South Africa, which is fraction of a point behind India, against Australia could help it move ahead of the reigning ICC Champions Trophy winner. A 3-2 series win will put South Africa in third position on 112 points, while a 4-1 series win will lift it to second position on 114 points.
For Australia, a 3-2 series win will maintain its current 124 points with a maximum drop to 118 points in the case of a 5-0 series whitewash. Even if it also loses its preceding one-off match to Ireland and gets blanked by South Africa, Australia will retain number-one position at 116 points with South Africa behind it on decimal points.
For Bangladesh, which is currently seventh-ranked with 98 points, a 3-0 win against Afghanistan and a 2-1 win against England could help it move to sixth place, ahead of Sri Lanka on decimal points.
England will retain its fifth position, irrespective of how the series pans out.
Former world champion Pakistan, which is the top-ranked Test side but is struggling in ninth position, can overtake eighth-ranked West Indies only with a 3-0 win. In that scenario, it will jump from 86 points to 89 points, while the West Indies will slide from 94 points to 88 points.
