KARACHI: Despite trailing 1-2 to England following a 141-run loss at Edgbaston, Pakistan still have an outside chance to emerge as the top ranked Test side, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday.

However, the other three of the top four Test sides currently also have an equal chance of making it to the number-one slot.

Three Test series being played out currently — Sri Lanka-Australia, West Indies-India, and Pakistan-England — will have a bearing on the final ranking.

Read: Is Sami Aslam the solution to Pakistan’s opening woes?

The fourth series, between the fifth-ranked New Zealand and the unranked Zimbabwe has little significance in the final outcome.

Zimbabwe has 48 points but has not played the required eight Test matches over the new rating period to be included on the main ranking table.

Various scenarios

The following are the various scenarios possible at the three Test series:

Sri Lanka v Australia

• If Sri Lanka beat Australia 2-1, then Australia will finish on 111

• If Sri Lanka beat Australia 2-0, then Australia will finish on 110

• If Sri Lanka beat Australia 3-0, then Australia will finish on 108

West Indies v India

• India beat West Indies 2-0, then India will finish on 110

• India beat West Indies 3-0, then India will finish on 112

• India beat West Indies 2-1, then India will finish on 108

England v Pakistan

• England beat Pakistan 2-1, then England will finish on 110

• England beat Pakistan 3-1, then England will finish on 112

• England-Pakistan series ends in 2-all, then Pakistan will finish on 111 – the same as now

Pakistan’s fate

Pakistan’s fate — and that of India, England and Australia — will depend on which of the various scenarios play out.

ICC says if the England-Pakistan series ends in two-all, Sri Lanka beat Australia by 3-0 or 2-0 and India beats West Indies by 2-1 or 2-0, then Pakistan will become number-one ranked side

However, if Sri Lanka beat Australia 2-1, England-Pakistan series ends two-all and India beat West Indies by 2-0, then Australia and Pakistan will be on 111 points each but Australia will be ranked first.

This means Pakistan will be going up one rank to the number two position.

Read: England take Edgbaston Test after dramatic Pakistan collapse

In the second scenario, if Sri Lanka beat Australia 2-0, England beats Pakistan 2-1 and India beats West Indies 2-0, then Australia, England and India will be on 110 points each.

However, it will be England that will be ranked number-one followed by India and Australia. In that case, Pakistan will drop to fourth position, from the current number three.

And finally, if England beat Pakistan 3-1 and India beat West Indies 3-0, then both England and India will be on 112 points each but India will be ranked first.

The third Test between India and West Indies begins on Tuesday in Gros Islet.