Cricket World Ratings 25/10/2016

Bangladesh have been playing test cricket since 1999.  In that time, they've found it hard to schedule test matches, especially against the big teams; and even harder to beat them.  Their only victories have come against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, the two other weakest teams in cricket's pecking order.  But they've just come within a whisker of beating England in an exceptionally well-balanced test match.  Of course, they've had home advantage, and it was the first test of England's tour, but still, the side has had a number of notable results in one-day cricket, and have sufficient talent that eventually a win will come.  But not quite yet.  The narrowness of the result, however, does point to the fact that although England came within a whisker of becomong the number one ranked team at the end of the English summer, the side really has a number of weaknesses which could be exposed badly when they visit India after their matches in Bangladesh.  When England were last number one in the world in 2011, they had a strong seam bowling roster and a run-laden lower middle order, both of which the current side has as well.  But back then, they also had an in-form top order, class spin bowling options and a well-respected wicket-keeper, all of which are absent from their current line up (though the oft-derided Bairstow actually had a good game behind the stumps in their latest match.  Still, it would be a bold person who at this stage bet on an away win when England go to India.

Meanwhile, the West Indies have (yet again) lost a match (to Pakistan, for the second time in their series) in spite of a valliant rearguard; but give away too many first innings runs and you're always going to be against the wall.  Neither of these results have much effect on my my form of world ratings, which measure performances against expectations; and so the current ratings look as follows:

India         144    
Pakistan      109 +8  
England        94 +5 
Australia      93    
South Africa   90    
Sri Lanka      52    
New Zealand     0    
West Indies   -85 -8  
Bangladesh   -177 -5  
Zimbabwe     -320

Cricket World Ratings 17th October 2016

 It's hard for teams from outside the Indian sub-continent to win there (and also vice-versa); with India and Pakistan currently playing home series, they are rising in cricket's world ratings.  One can note that Pakistan's home matches are actually played (due to security concerns in their actual homeland) in Arabia; but the pitches in the U.A.E. are quite subcontinental in character.  In fact, in spite of scoring almost 600 runs for the loss of only three wickets in their first innings, Pakistan only beat the West Indies on the last day by the relatively narrow margin of 56 runs.  India, meanwhile, were too strong for New Zealand and sent their visitors packing 3-0.  A small oddity: New Zealand now have a rating of (almost) exactly zero, i.e. they're as strong as the mean strength.  But this number is accounted for in part due to the relatively awful scores of Banglasdesh and Zimbabwe; six teams rate more strongly then New Zealand, and only three weaker.

India         144 +10  
Pakistan      101  +8  
Australia      93    
South Africa   90    
England        89    
Sri Lanka      52   
New Zealand     0 -10 
West Indies   -77  -8   
Bangladesh   -172    
Zimbabwe     -320

Meanwhile, the official world ratings have caught up with my system and India have leapfrogged Pakistan to take the top spot, although the Pakistan-West Indies game I mentioned previously will only be included here once that series is complete.

India         115 +5

Pakistan      111
Australia     108
England       108
South Africa   96
Sri Lanka      95
New Zealand    91 -4
West Indies    67
Bangladesh     57
Zimbabwe        8

Cricket World Ratings 4th October 2016

As the English summer drew to a close, four teams were in contention for the top position in cricket's world ratings: England, Pakistan, India and Australia.  The latter had held the top spot, but lost it after an unexpected drubbing in Sri Lanka.  When Pakistan beat England in the final test of their series, they went top in the official ratings; but in my system, it was India who grabbed the lead.  Now, however, India have beaten New Zealand for two tests in a row, guaranteeing a series win (there's just one game still to come).  The official ratings won't be updated until the series has ended, but it's already a certainty that India (even if the last match is lost) will gain sufficient points to end Pakistan's brief reign.  Pakistan have only ever been rated first once before (in 1988) and that was for a similarly brief interval. In my system, where India were already top, they've increased their margins, and the list now looks as follows:

India         134 +12
Australia      93    
Pakistan       93    
South Africa   90    
England        89    
Sri Lanka      52    
New Zealand    10 -12   
West Indies   -69    
Bangladesh   -172   
Zimbabwe     -320

And the very narrow lead that India had held is now starting to grow.  There's a lot more cricket to be payed before Christmas, but that includes more home test matches for India.  The safest bet is that India will further boost their lead, although the four teams who remain within a whisker of one another behind them will all have ambitions.  England's games against Bangladesh are among the next to come.