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.