World Cricket

The world cricket scene includes ten nations who have test match status, and 87 other nations who form the ICC World Cricket League. The ICC framework means that fixtures, rules, umpiring and playing conditions are well regulated.

But, it’s still a formidable challenge for cricket fans to agree who are the best teams in the world, and who are the best current and past players.

You might think that a sport that generates so many statistics could easily provide the facts and figures to solve this challenge, but it isn’t so easy.

The test playing nations don’t play the same number of games; opponents vary in strength, and there’s no set representative period for calculating ranking points.
For example, a strong side like South Africa might easily beat a developing team like Bangladesh in a 5 match test series. But, how should that compare with a hard fought series between say, India and Pakistan?

Sir Donald Bradman had a test match batting average of over 99, but how should this be compared with today’s stars of world cricket who play far more tests, but where a batting average of over 50 is considered as outstanding?

Player Rankings

Various dedicated fans have developed rating systems to solve these problems. These rank individual players by awarding points or by calculating batting/bowling averages. Ranking periods range from 18 months to a whole career. None are perfect, but the best known system was developed by Price Waterhouse Coopers (accountants), and is now used by the ICC.

The ICC rankings rate players on a 0-1000 point scale, separately for tests and ODIs. They consider the runs scored or wickets taken, the ratings of their opponents, the total runs scored in a game and the match result. These rankings are a moving average, so if a player’s performance improves on his past record, his rating increases. But, it reduces if his form declines.

This is great for comparing current and past players. The calculations are pretty complex, but the LG ICC player comparison tool does all the work for us.

Select Mens Test/Mens ODI or Womens ODI then "compare players" from the drop-down menu. Try comparing Sir Len Hutton and Brian Lara, and see if it solves your after dinner debate about who is the best. It’s clever stuff, but of course it’s only as good as the rules for awarding rating points.

Team Rankings

Team ranking systems are equally complicated. The first system for test teams was devised in 1995 by Wisden, and awarded points for a team’s performance in recent test series. This was used by the ICC from 2001, when the global test championship was inaugurated. But, the system didn’t take account of the relative strength of opponents, and a new test championship system was adopted in 2005.

This was devised by David Kendix, a cricket scorer and an actuary. It works like a batting average – a winning team improves its average/ranking while a losing team sees its ranking fall. Tests and ODIs use different variations of this system.

The “official” ICC-Kendix system is comprehensive, but there are still several others that are based on points, ratings, averages or some combination of these. They show that cricket records are a statistician’s dream, but what do they all prove?

The bottom line is that Australia are currently top of all the different rankings for tests and ODIs. South Africa are rated second in all ODI rankings, and England are second in all but one of the test match ratings. The official ICC ratings give definitive league tables.

World Cricket League

The “premier league” of world cricket comprises ten nations who play each other in test matches, ODIs, the Cricket World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy. However the ICC World Cricket League includes 87 other nations who don’t have test status, but do play ODI cricket. These form five global divisions, and take part in five regional ODI tournaments.

The WCL league system has two objectives: to provide a means for assiciate and affiliate members to qualify for the Cricket World Cup, and to give these teams an opportunity to play international one-day matches against teams of similar standards.

Ireland are the present WCL champions, and are the #1 associate/affiliate team in Europe. Canada, Kenya and Afghanistan are each the #1 team in their own continent, and have all featured strongly in recent Cricket World cups.

Cricket in Canada is the fastest growing sport in the land of baseball!

There are financial benefits for achieving test match status and for playing in the world cup, which in turn aids cricket development. So, the WCL promotes cricket development and offers non test playing nations a route through to cricket’s “premier league”.

The Twenty20 format doesn't yet feature in the rankings, but has brought new excitement to the game. The 2007 and 2009 World Cups in South Africa and England were a great success. The Indian Premier League is a sensational mix of cricket and show busines, but needs to feed off the passion of the Indian crowds. You can find out more at Cricket24/7 - Cricket Fan Club

The world test cricket championship, ODI rankings, world cricket league and player ratings are relatively new. Whether you love or hate them, they give cricket real global interest which is great for the sport. But despite all this science, will fans ever agree who is the best?

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