India overtook Australia on Tuesday (2) to go number one in new Test rankings issued by the International Cricket Council, while also retaining the top position in T20s.
England remained number three in Tests but reduced the gap behind the top two teams significantly, the rankings published by the ICC showed.
England have won 10 out of 12 Tests since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces last year following a woeful run of one win in 17 matches.
The new annual rankings reflect all series completed since May 2020 and drop results from the 2019-20 season, the ICC said.
India last topped the Test rankings for a month in December 2021, while Australia has been number one since January 2022 after hammering England 4-0 in the Ashes.
The table remained otherwise unchanged, with South Africa fourth and New Zealand fifth ahead of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Afghanistan and Ireland have yet to play enough Tests to earn a place in the rankings table.
India remained number one in the T20 rankings, increasing their lead over second-placed England, while New Zealand overtook Pakistan and South Africa to be third.
Australia are sixth ahead of West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The new rankings for one-day internationals will be released on May 10.
(Agencies)
Still Playing the Hero: Salman Khan in Sikandar, a film that proves he’s out of touch with both time and taste
Timothée Chalamet channels the folk legend in ‘A Complete Unknown,’ bringing Bob Dylan’s early Greenwich Village days to lifeGetty Images 
Jaafar Jackson steps into the King of Pop’s iconic loafers in ‘Michael’: A powerful tribute that blends legacy with familyGetty Images
Julia Garner transforms into the queen of reinvention in the untitled Madonna biopic with corset, cone bra, and allGetty Images
Selena Gomez pays homage to Linda Ronstadt’s trailblazing voice and emotional depth in this anticipated passion projectGetty Images
Jeremy Allen White ditches the kitchen for the studio in ‘Deliver Me from Nowhere,’ a gritty portrayal of Springsteen’s Nebraska eraGetty Images
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.