Cricket World Ratings 30th November 2017

Sri Lanka managed a draw in the first game of their series against India; it's been rare recently for a strong Indian side not to win at home. Match two saw a big Indian win, however; there's one more game to come between the two sides.  Then, India will tour South Africa, which should provide a real test of quite how good a team they actually are.

Meanwhile, after 3 competitive days, Australia asserted themselves to win the first match of the Ashes series.  England did not disgrace themselves; but ultimately, failed to suggest that the weaknesses they might have been expected to reveal down under will not ultimately prove fatal to their hopes.  Match 2, a day-nighter at Adelaide which stats later in the week, was always tipped as their best chance; if they lose it, the rest of the series could prove very tough.

Finally, West Indies are about the start a series against New Zealand; this is another series where a home win is likely, though by no means inevitable.

The current world ratings now look like this:


India         210  -2 
Australia     108 +15 
South Africa  102    
England        57 -15  
New Zealand    53    
Sri Lanka      19  +2 
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -67    
Bangladesh   -135    
Zimbabwe     -320

Cricket World Ratings 2nd November 2017

Zimbabwe were awarded test match status in the 1990s, but with a small cricketing community, and political and economic turmoil, they've consistently struggled against just about everyone, as well as having been banned for a substantial period.  Recently, their results (from the relatively few matches they have played) have been so bad that they've come within 1 point of setting the all-time lowest rating ever recorded on my rating system: Bangladesh were once rated 1 point worse, although they've since substantially improved.  In the ICC ratings, their score had fallen to zero, meaning they had lost every match in the period used to devise a rating.  Now, however, while still losing a series, they've managed to draw a match, against the West Indies: the first time they've played a game without losing since they beat Pakistan, in 2013.

India         212    
South Africa  102   
Australia      93    
England        72    
New Zealand    53    
Sri Lanka      17  
Pakistan      -27  
West Indies   -67  -13  
Bangladesh   -135    
Zimbabwe     -320  +13

And the official ratings are now like this:

India        125
South Africa 111
England      105 
New Zealand   97
Australia     97 
Sri Lanka     94
Pakistan      88  
West Indies   75  
Bangladesh    72   
Zimbabwe       2 +2

The next test match will see Sri Lanka play in India; England's series in Australia begins shortly afterwards.