Cricket World Ratings 22nd October 2026

The two best teams in the world, Australia and South Africa, are currently playing a three match series against each other. And it will go down to the decider, after South Africa just levelled the series after losing the first match.  An interesting thing, perhaps, is to compare this Australian side to that of 2005: full of players who've had brilliant careers, but who are no longer young.  Could the end be coming?  In fact, although some players ended their careers following Australia's surprise defeat in England that year, the next few years were still pretty good for Australia, who were top of my ratings in an unbroken run of over nine years from 1999 to 2008. Their current run is much shorter, but since March 2023 they've only been three months off top slot.  They are now, however, perilously close to losing it again, leading the rankings by just one point:

1. Australia     254 -18
2. South Africa  253 +19
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         167  
5. England       129     
6. Sri Lanka      12  
7. Pakistan      -24         
8. West Indies   -38      
   
9. Bangladesh    -58   
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -311  

Meanwhile, there is a small update to the official ratings to report, with Bangladesh dropping a point after their recent failure to defeat Afghanistan:

1. Australia     126      
2. South Africa  119   
3. New Zealand   106  
4. India         105         
5. England       102   
6. Bangladesh     77  -1   
7. Sri Lanka      75       
8. West Indies    74
9. Pakistan       71 
10. Zimbabwe       17   

The final test is South Africa will be played next week.

Cricket World Ratings 13th October 2026

Two recent test matches have been played. Afghanistan managed to force a draw against Bangladesh, while Australia have returned to the top of the rankings by winning their first game in South Africa 

1. Australia     272 +28
2. South Africa  234 -28
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         167  
5. England       129     
6. Sri Lanka      12  
7. Pakistan      -24         
8. West Indies   -38      
   
9. Bangladesh    -58 -13  
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -311 +13 

The series in South Africa continues next week.

 

Cricket World Ratings 13th September 2026

England have completed a whitewash of Pakistan, an easy first series following the end of the Ben Stokes era against a sadly poor Pakistan team, who ten years ago held first place in the rankings but who have fallen on hard times of late:

1. South Africa  262 
2. Australia     244  
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         167  
5. England       136  +7   
6. Sri Lanka      12  
7. Pakistan      -31  -7       
8. West Indies   -38      
   
9. Bangladesh    -45    
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -324 

In the official ratings (though not in mine), this defeat puts Pakistan behind the West Indies (and both trail Bangladesh):

1. Australia     126      
2. South Africa  119   
3. New Zealand   106  
4. India         105         
5. England       102  +3  
6. Bangladesh     78   
7. Sri Lanka      75       
8. West Indies    74
9. Pakistan       71  -4
10. Zimbabwe       17   

Next month, Afghanistan play a one off game against Bangladesh, but the real excitement is linked to Australia's tour of South Africa, which should resolve which team is really the best in the world right now.

Cricket World 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.