Cricket World Ratings 23rd September 2024

Bangladesh recently went to Pakistan and won twice, but after moving onto India, they’ve encountered tougher opponents and were well beaten in their first test.  Meanwhile, New Zealand, whose game against Afghanistan was washed out, have travelled onto Sri Lanka, but have also lost to their hosts, following on from their recent win in their last match against England.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         254  +2 
3. England       178    
4. South Africa  118
5. New Zealand   103 -21
6. Sri Lanka      77 +21 
   
7. Pakistan        7   
8. West Indies     2      
   
9. Bangladesh    -80  -2             
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
11. Afghanistan  -343 

A second test in both series kicks off later this week.

Cricket World Ratings 13th September 2024

England was got some great results playing "Bazball", but one thing it hasn't brought them is the consistency of the truly ruthless.  After defeating Sri Lanka in the first two tests of their current series, and taking a first innings lead in the third, they nonetheless went onto lose that final game.  Although England won the series, the defeat means they have moved backwards in the rankings. Meanwhile, a test in India between Afghanistan and New Zealand, scheduled to be the first ever meeting of the two nations, was sadly rained off without a ball being bowled (which forced me to make a change to my code-base, which hadn't been handling the seven previously completed abandoned games in the correct manner - which is, I think, to disregard them completely). The revised list now looks like this:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         252 
3. England       178 -38   
4. New Zealand   124 
5. South Africa  118   
6. Sri Lanka      56 +37 
   
7. Pakistan        7   
8. West Indies     2      
   
9. Bangladesh    -78             
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
11. Afghanistan  -343 

Meanwhile, the official rankings are completely unchanged by England's 2-1 series win:

1. Australia     124 
2. India         120
   
3. England       108  
   
4. South Africa  104    
5. New Zealand    96  
6. Sri Lanka      83  
   
7. West Indies    77  
   
8. Pakistan       76 
   
9. Bangladesh     66  
10. Ireland        26  
11. Zimbabwe        4 
12. Afghanistan     0
    

Next week, Sri Lanka head home where they'll be joined by New Zealand, while Bangladesh, fresh from winning in Pakistan, will attempt an improbable double in India.

Cricket World Ratings 3rd September 2024

Matches in two series have taken place recently.  England have (fairly comfortably) defeated their Sri Lankan visitors twice; more surprisingly, Bangladesh have twice defeated their hosts, Pakistan. It's one of Banglasdesh's most notable test series, and their rating is now within 5 points of their all-time high, set in 2018:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         252 
3. England       215 +13   
4. New Zealand   124 
5. South Africa  118   
6. Sri Lanka      19 -13 
   
7. Pakistan        7 -74  
8. West Indies     2      
   
9. Bangladesh    -78 +74             
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
11. Afghanistan  -343 

With the series in Pakistan now complete, the official ratings now look as follows (also now accomodating the results from South Africa's recent tour of the Caribbean):

1. Australia     124 
2. India         120
   
3. England       108  +3
   
4. South Africa  104  +1  
5. New Zealand    96  
6. Sri Lanka      83  
   
7. West Indies    77  -1 
8. Pakistan       76 -13
   
9. Bangladesh     66 +13 
10. Ireland        26  
11. Zimbabwe        4 
12. Afghanistan     0
    

England and Sri Lanka have one more match to play; also next week, New Zealand play a one-off match in Afghanistan.