Top 5 instances of Number 1 ranked Test teams suffering humiliating losses in subsequent series

#3 England 2012

South Africa thumped England to get the number 1 title

The disastrous year continued for England when they next faced a touring South African side.

It was a horrendous tour for the hosts as they fell away both on and off the field. They ran into Hashim Amla who set the tone of the series with an undefeated 311 and handed England a loss in the first Test at the Oval. And then there was the fallout between mercurial player Kevin Pietersen and the other members of the team.

Andrew Strauss the English captain stepped down after the series and this was the third time in succession when a Graeme Smith-led side accounted for English skippers, after Nasser Hussain in 2003 and Michael Vaughan in 2008.

South Africa were the proud recipients of the ICC mace for being the number 1 team.