Cricket Wolrd Ratings 30th August 2026

Three test matches have recently been completed.  Sri Lanka managed to draw their final test against India; Australia avenged their shock defeat by Bangladesh; but England made it 2/3 against Pakistan.  The effect on my rankings is as follows:

1. South Africa  262 
2. Australia     244  +2
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         167  -7
5. England       129  +8   
6. Sri Lanka      12  +7
7. Pakistan      -24  -8       
8. West Indies   -38      
   
9. Bangladesh    -45  -3  
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -324 

What's notable is that all these results were mostly as expected; they hardly move the ratings needle at all. In the official ratings the effect of Bangladesh drawing a series down under is less notable for it's effect on Australia, who remain top, than it is on Bangladesh, who climb about Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the West Indies:

1. Australia     126  -5     
2. South Africa  119   
3. New Zealand   106  
4. India         105  +1       
5. England        99  
6. Bangladesh     78  +5 
7. Sri Lanka      75  -1  
8. Pakistan       75        
9. West Indies    74     
10. Zimbabwe       17   

Pakistan really are at a low ebb right now, and following two big defeats, have one more game in England to get through.

Cricket World Ratings 21st August 2026

The past month has seen some interesting cricket. Pakistan ended their dismal run by winning their second game against the West Indies, but have since crashed to a big loss in the first game of their tour of England.  India have won their first game in Sri Lanka; but most shockingly, Bangladesh, who actually lost their last game to Zimbabwe, have just won a test in Australia for the first time.  This has quite a big effect on my rankings which now look like this:

1. South Africa  262 
2. Australia     242 -41
3. New Zealand   190 
4. India         174 +17
5. England       121  +9   
6. Sri Lanka       5 -17
7. Pakistan      -16  +3       
8. West Indies   -38 -12      
   
9. Bangladesh    -42 +41  
10. Zimbabwe     -281     
    
11. Ireland      -292   
12. Afghanistan  -324 

Australia fall from the top spot, with a massive 41 point swing on this one game alone; by contrast, England gain just 9 points from beating Pakistan at home. Australia had been top since February 2023, when India briefly held that position; South Africa were last in first place in January 2019. Bangladesh's current rating is an all time high and the team are within a whisker of overtaking the West Indies. The official ratings were updated with the conclusion of the Pakistan-West Indies series but actually changed nothing:

1. Australia     131     
2. South Africa  119   
3. New Zealand   106  
4. India         104       
5. England        99        
6. Sri Lanka      76   
7. Pakistan       75        
8. West Indies    74   
9. Bangladesh     73   
10. Zimbabwe       17   

All three current series continue next week.