Cricket World Ratings 24th May 2025

Prior to their recent game, England had last hosted Zimbabwe in test cricket in 2003.  It's obviously good that the giants of test cricket sometimes face the minnows but the home side's innings win was hardly a surprise.  Indeed, my ratings, which adjust after each match on the basis of whether a team has exceeded or fallen short of expectations, barely touches the ratings of either side after this game, and they now look like this:

1. Australia     295 
2. South Africa  197
3. England       172  +1
4. India         167
5. New Zealand   148 
6. Sri Lanka      49 
7. Pakistan       12  
8. West Indies   -18  
   
9. Bangladesh   -115 
   
10. Ireland      -275   
    
11. Afghanistan  -306        
    
12. Zimbabwe     -325  -1
    

The next test is rather more interesting: Australia and South Africa face off on neutral territory in the world test championship final.  The ICC has a complex system for determining who gets to play in this game; but my ratings agree these are the two best sides in the world, albeit with some difference between them.

Test Cricket Ratings 2nd May 2025

Zimbabwe travelled to Bangldesh at a very low ebb, but surprsingly managed to win their first test.  The second test saw the home side level the series, but this expected result only marginally undoes the result of the first game (which moved the two teams' ratings each by over 40 points):

1. Australia     295 
2. South Africa  197
3. England       171
4. India         167
5. New Zealand   148 
6. Sri Lanka      49 
7. Pakistan       12  
8. West Indies   -18  
   
9. Bangladesh   -115  +6 
   
10. Ireland      -275   
    
11. Afghanistan  -306        
    
12. Zimbabwe     -324  -6
    

In the official ratings, Zimbabwe have also improved their score, although as it was zero before it could not have got worse:

1. Australia     127  
2. South Africa  112  -2  
3. India         109   
   
4. England       105 
5. New Zealand    97    
6. Sri Lanka      86   
7. Pakistan       82  +2  
8. West Indies    76     
9. Bangladesh     61  -4        
10. Ireland        30  
    
11. Afghanistan    19 
12. Zimbabwe       12 +12 
    

What would be more unexpected would be if Zimbabwe were to get another game result in their next game, as that is in England, it's played at the end of the month.