Cricket World Ratings 5th October 2025

There is a danger that test cricket beomces something that only a handful of countries can play competitively.  India's demolition of the West Indies in the first game of their current series could be seen as a good illustration of this point. It has had relatively little effect on my world ratings, which effectively predicted this result and which now look like this:

1. Australia     289  
2. South Africa  229  
3. India         200  +4 
4. New Zealand   153   
5. England       143 
6. Sri Lanka      42   
7. Pakistan       12  
8. West Indies   -45  -5    
   
9. Bangladesh   -109     
   
10. Ireland      -275   
    
11. Afghanistan  -306        
    
12. Zimbabwe     -333    
    

West Indies will have another chance to try and upset the form book next week.