Cricket World Ratings 28th September 2016

New  Zeland is a small country, and their cricket team is usually dependent, even at its best, on a small number of exceptional players, such as their current leading batsman, Kane Williamson.  India is the most populous cricket-playing country, and their team is currently top of my cricket world rankings (though Pakistan still lead the initial list).  Williamson predictably made some runs in the first test of New Zealand's current tour of India, but equally predictably, it wasn't enough, and a ten-wicket haul for Ashwin helped India to a victory by almost 200 runs.  It's the first of a series of tests that India will play at home this winter: the net result could be that they strengthen their position on top of my ratings, and take the lead in the official rankings too, as neither system makes any allowances for home advantage.  Here's my latest rankings: the second test (of three) begins in a couple of days.

India         122 +12 
Australia      93    
Pakistan       93    
South Africa   90    
England        89    
Sri Lanka      52    
New Zealand    22 -12  
West Indies   -69    
Bangladesh   -172    
Zimbabwe     -320

Cricket World Ratings 5th September 2016

Dale Steyn has been the world's best fast bowler for the past decade.  But recently, injury has interrupted his career, and he's at the age where a fast bowler typically nears the end of his usefulness.  Thus every hiccup might now be seen as a harbinger of the end.  But he may not be finished yet.  After South Africa's first test against New Zealand was rained off, Steyn was instrumental in winning the second for his side, taking 10 wickets in the match.  It's a good win for South Africa as well, following disastrous series in India and at home against England, which saw the team fall precipitously from their previous spot as world number 1.

The effect of this win on my version of cricket's world ratings is to improve South Africa's standing at the expense of England's, although it's all very close:

India         110   
Australia      93    
Pakistan       93   
South Africa   90 +15  
England        89    
Sri Lanka      52    
New Zealand    34 -16  
West Indies   -69   
Bangladesh   -172    
Zimbabwe     -320

By way of comparison, here are the current ICC world ratings following the conclusion of New Zealand's visit to South Africa:

Pakistan      111
India         110
Australia     108
England       108
South Africa   96
Sri Lanka      95
New Zealand    95
West Indies    67
Bangladesh     57
Zimbabwe        8

  
Under the ICC system, New Zealand actually held 5th place before this defeat.  The results bring the ICC system into better concordance with mine, the main difference being the higher ranking that Pakistan claim in the official ratings.  But their hold on first place may not last for long.  Unless New Zealand can defy expectation on their forthcoming tour of India, the home team may well soon be in first place in both sets of ratings.