Cricket Wolrd Ratings 30th August 2026

Three test matches have recently been completed.  Sri Lanka managed to draw their final test against India; Australia avenged their shock defeat by Bangladesh; but England made it 2/3 against Pakistan.  The effect on my rankings is as follows:

1. South Africa  262 
2. Australia     244  +2
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         167  -7
5. England       129  +8   
6. Sri Lanka      12  +7
7. Pakistan      -24  -8       
8. West Indies   -38      
   
9. Bangladesh    -45  -3  
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -324 

What's notable is that all these results were mostly as expected; they hardly move the ratings needle at all. In the official ratings the effect of Bangladesh drawing a series down under is less notable for it's effect on Australia, who remain top, than it is on Bangladesh, who climb about Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the West Indies:

1. Australia     126  -5     
2. South Africa  119   
3. New Zealand   106  
4. India         105  +1       
5. England        99  
6. Bangladesh     78  +5 
7. Sri Lanka      75  -1  
8. Pakistan       75        
9. West Indies    74     
10. Zimbabwe       17   

Pakistan really are at a low ebb right now, and following two big defeats, have one more game in England to get through.

Cricket World Ratings 21st August 2026

The past month has seen some interesting cricket. Pakistan ended their dismal run by winning their second game against the West Indies, but have since crashed to a big loss in the first game of their tour of England.  India have won their first game in Sri Lanka; but most shockingly, Bangladesh, who actually lost their last game to Zimbabwe, have just won a test in Australia for the first time.  This has quite a big effect on my rankings which now look like this:

1. South Africa  262 
2. Australia     242 -41
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         174 +17
5. England       121  +9   
6. Sri Lanka       5 -17
7. Pakistan      -16  +3       
8. West Indies   -38 -12      
   
9. Bangladesh    -42 +41  
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -324 

Australia fall from the top spot, with a massive 41 point swing on this one game alone; by contrast, England gain just 9 points from beating Pakistan at home. Australia had been top since February 2023, when India briefly held that position; South Africa were last in first place in January 2019. Bangladesh's current rating is an all time high and the team are within a whisker of overtaking the West Indies. The official ratings were updated with the conclusion of the Pakistan-West Indies series but actually changed nothing:

1. Australia     131     
2. South Africa  119   
3. New Zealand   106  
4. India         104       
5. England        99        
6. Sri Lanka      76   
7. Pakistan       75        
8. West Indies    74   
9. Bangladesh     73   
10. Zimbabwe       17   

All three current series continue next week.

Cricket World Ratings 28th July 2026

The West Indies have had some good results at home recently, winning a series against Sri Lanka and now adding a good victory in their first game (of two) against Pakistan.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. Australia     282    
2. South Africa  262 
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         157
5. England       112    
6. Sri Lanka      22    
7. West Indies    -8 +18 
8. Pakistan      -36 -17 
9. Bangladesh    -83   
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -324 

For Pakistan, who led the ratings in 2016, this is a real low ebb. And the last time they were behind West Indies in the ratings appears to have been 1997!  Although the last 30 years haven't exactly been great for the West Indies, since then they have had periods ahead of every other team with the exception of Australia.  So to see this reversal is really quite striking.

Cricket World Ratings 8th July 2026

New Zealand begun their tour of England with a loss and the retirement of their star batsman Kevin Williamson. They've ended it with a 2-1 series victory. Sri Lanka have not been so successful their tour of the West Indies, losing one game and drawing the other.  In the meantime, Zimbabwe have also won a rare victory, defeating Bangladesh.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. Australia     282    
2. South Africa  262 
3. New Zealand   190 +37
4. India         157
5. England       112 -37   
6. Sri Lanka      22 -20
7. Pakistan      -19       
8. West Indies   -26 +20      
   
9. Bangladesh    -83 -34  
10. Zimbabwe     -281 +34    
    
11. Ireland      -292  -3 
12. Afghanistan  -324 

And the official ratings look like this: 

1. Australia     131     
2. South Africa  119   
3. New Zealand   106  +4
4. India         104       
5. England        99  -3       
6. Sri Lanka      76 -10   
7. Pakistan       75        
8. West Indies    74  +6 
9. Bangladesh     73  -5 
10. Zimbabwe       17  +7 

Bangladesh had recently been at an all time high in both ratings but their loss to Zimbabwe has knocked them back. England's rating in my rankings is now their lowest since 2022.  Pakistan travel to the West Indies to play the next test as the end of month.

 

Cricket World Ratings 21st June 2026

The small margin between England and New Zealand in my world ratings might have led one to expect a close series; and after England won the first test, their visitors have now one the second. The result perfectly flips their previous scores, but the final test, which starts in less than a week's time, could reverse the pecking order once more.

1. Australia     282    
2. South Africa  262 
3. New Zealand   166 +19
4. India         157  
5. England       137 -19  
6. Sri Lanka      42
7. Pakistan      -19       
8. West Indies   -46      
   
9. Bangladesh    -49       
   
10. Ireland      -292  
11. Zimbabwe     -315 
12. Afghanistan  -324 

Also next week, Sri Lanka begin a tour of the West Indies.

Cricket World Ratings 13th June 2026

New Zealand's first game on their current tour of England proved a tense, low scoring game, in which the home side eventually proved victorious. Subsequently, their great batsman Kane Williamson has retired.  Meanwhile, in one the the least surprising results ever, India won at home against Afghanistan, and by a predictably huge margin. In my rankings, England now move above their immediate rivals; and also India, who gained a princely one point gain from their win. Afghanistan, rounded to the nearest point, actually show no change at all!

1. Australia     282    
2. South Africa  262 
3. England       166 +17 
4. India         157  +1
5. New Zealand   137 -16  
6. Sri Lanka      42
7. Pakistan      -19       
8. West Indies   -46      
   
9. Bangladesh    -49       
   
10. Ireland      -292  
11. Zimbabwe     -315 
12. Afghanistan  -324 

The 2nd test in England starts next week.

Cricket World Ratings 29th May 2026

New Zealand's first game on their current tour of Europe was in Ireland (well, Northern Ireland to be precise), where they recoded an easy win. The effect on my world ratings is as follows:

1. Australia     282    
2. South Africa  262 
3. India         156
4. New Zealand   153  +3
5. England       149   
6. Sri Lanka      42
7. Pakistan      -19       
8. West Indies   -46      
   
9. Bangladesh    -49       
   
10. Ireland      -292  -3 
11. Zimbabwe     -315 
12. Afghanistan  -324 

And in the official ratings:

1. Australia     131     
2. South Africa  119    
3. India         104       
4. England       102        
5. New Zealand   102  +1          
6. Sri Lanka      86   
7. Bangladesh     78 
8. Pakistan       75        
9. West Indies    68      
10. Zimbabwe       10   

Next, New Zealand head to England, and the interesting thing is quite how closely the two teams are rated in both systems.  England will have home advantage, of course, but it could be a tight series.