Cricket World Ratings 8th August 2021

England were briefly top of the world in my world ratings at the end of last yeat, having won a rare away test in India.  The home side then delivered a triple revenge, and back at home, England have also lost to New Zealand (who have since beaten India in the inaugural world test championship final).  Now they face India once more, this time with home advantage.  But the Indians look super-strong, and with such strength in depth, could easily win in the UK.  They had eked out a definite advantage in the first test before rain prevented a result.  England's hopes seem to very must rest on their captain, Root.

Within India the higher-rated team, but England having home advantage, the draw has almost no effect on my ratings. In other words, the difference in the two team's ratings is almost exactly sufficient to offset home advantage when it comes to predicting a result.  The mildy revised ratings looks like this:

1. New Zealand   260 
   
2. India         242 -1 
3. Australia     177 
4. England       156 +1
5. Pakistan      118  
6. South Africa  104  
   
7. Sri Lanka      20
8. West Indies   -26
   
9. Bangladesh   -129    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338

Cricket World Ratings 12th July 2021

Bangladesh are currently in Zimbabwe, where they have just easily won the only test they will play on their visit.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. New Zealand   260 
   
2. India         243 
3. Australia     177 
4. England       155
5. Pakistan      118  
6. South Africa  104  
   
7. Sri Lanka      20
8. West Indies   -26
   
9. Bangladesh   -129 +19   
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280 -19   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338

And the official world ratings have also been adjusted. I had thought they were only affected by series of at least two matches, but it seems I was wrong: this means the results of the recent test final played between the top two sides has also had an effect:

1. New Zealand   126 +3
   
2. India         119 -2
3. Australia     108
4. England       107 
5. Pakistan       94 
6. South Africa   88
7. West Indies    78 
8. Sri Lanka      78
9. Bangladesh     49 +3 
   
10. Zimbabwe       31 -4 

But July is mostly empty of test cricket this year. India begin a series in England in early August.

Cricket World Ratings 23rd June 2021

 

All test matches are equal, but some are more equal than others.  The International Cricket Council recently instituted a system whereby the two best teams in the world would play off against each other, periodically: the first such match has just been played out between India and New Zealand and the latter, so cruelly robbed in the 50-over world cup, managed to win.  It's a great triumph for a small nation where cricket isn't even the principal national sport, and for a side with many good players but more notable for its team ethos than its stars.  Meanwhile, I had to change my algorithm to calculate the ratings, which had no previous facility to record a match played on neutral ground.  Fittingly, the win takes New Zealand top in my ratings for the first time ever. At the same time, South Africa have just completed a 2-0 win in West Indies, so my rankings now look like this:

1. New Zealand   260 +24 
2. India         243 -23 
3. Australia     177 
4. England       155
5. Pakistan      118  
6. South Africa  104 +20 
   
7. Sri Lanka      20
8. West Indies   -26 -20
   
9. Bangladesh   -148    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -261   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338

Oddly, the Test Championship doesn't affect the official ratings, which are based only on series of two games or more; however, New Zealand had already taken first place after beating England earlier in the month.

1. New Zealand   123 
   
2. India         121 
3. Australia     108
4. England       107 
5. Pakistan       94 
6. South Africa   88 +8
7. West Indies    78 -6
8. Sri Lanka      78
9. Bangladesh     46 
   
10. Zimbabwe       35 

The next test, in early July, sees Bangladesh visit Zimbabwe.

Cricket World Ratings 13th June 2021

Earlier this year, after winning twice in Sri Lanka then again in India, England sat briefly on top of my test cricket world ratings.  Since then, the team has lost four games in five, and two series, their latest defeat to New Zealand, who will now play India, their other tormentors, in the inaugaral world test cricket championship final.  Meanwhile, South Africa just secured a good victory in the first game of their West Indies tour.  My cricket world ratings now look like this:

1. India         266     
2. New Zealand   236 +24
   
3. Australia     177 
4. England       155 -25
5. Pakistan      118  
6. South Africa   84 +24 
   
7. Sri Lanka      20
8. West Indies    -6 -24
   
9. Bangladesh   -148    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -261   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338

Meanwhile, in the official ratings, New Zealand go top, I think for the very first time:

1. New Zealand   123 +3
   
2. India         121 
3. Australia     108
4. England       107 -2 
5. Pakistan       94
6. West Indies    84
7. South Africa   80
8. Sri Lanka      78
9. Bangladesh     46 
   
10. Zimbabwe       35 

But both systems support the choice of the two sides who'll be playing for the championship.

Cricket World Ratings 6th June 2021

New Zealand have rarely rated higher in world cricket than at present; they're within a point of the top of the official world ratings, and second (though more distant from first place) in mine.  This summer, they're touring England; and they've had the better of a rain-affected draw in the season's first test.  This has a minor impact only on my ratings; but it certainly won't be easy for England to beat them when they meet again next week.  After that, they stay in England, to meet India in the inaugaral world test cricket championship final.

1. India         266     
2. New Zealand   212 +4
   
3. England       180 -4
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      118  
6. South Africa   60  
7. Sri Lanka      20
8. West Indies    18
9. Bangladesh   -148    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -261   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338 

Cricket World Ratings 15th May 2021

 

Pakistan have just completed their second successive win in Zimbabwe, an unsursprising result that has little effect on my world ratings:

1. India         266     
2. New Zealand   208 
3. England       184
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      118 +4 
6. South Africa   60  
7. Sri Lanka      20
8. West Indies    18
9. Bangladesh   -148    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -261 -5   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338 
    

The offical ratings, meanwhile, have undergon etheir annual readjustment, which happens because they use a calender-based timeframe to determine what matches count.  This has produced few changes in the pecking order: England are lifted above Australia, matching my rankings, but the remaining diffference between them is that West Indies are two places higher in the official list than in mine.

1. India         121 +1
2. New Zealand   120 +1
3. England       109 +3 
4. Australia     108 -5
5. Pakistan       94 +4 
6. West Indies    84 +3
7. South Africa   80 -9
8. Sri Lanka      78 -5
9. Bangladesh     46 -5
   
10. Zimbabwe       35 +6
    

The next test due is New Zealand's first game on their forthcoming tour of England.

Cricket World Ratings 3rd May 2021

Two test matches have recently concluded; Sri Lanka saw off vistors Bangladesh to secure a 1-0 series victory, while Pakistan won their first game on tour in Zimbabwe.  Neither result was particularly unexpected, and the impact on my world ratings is fairly miimal, although Sri Lanka do slip back above West Indies in the rankings:

1. India         266     
2. New Zealand   208 
3. England       184
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      114 +6 
6. South Africa   60  
7. Sri Lanka      20 +8
8. West Indies    18
9. Bangladesh   -148 -8     
   
10. Zimbabwe     -256 -5   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338 
    

The series leaves the official ratings completely unchanged:

1. India         120
2. New Zealand   118
3. Australia     113
4. England       106 
5. Pakistan       90
6. South Africa   89 
7. Sri Lanka      83  
8. West Indies    81  
9. Bangladesh     51 
10. Zimbabwe       29
    

Zimbabwe and Pakistan will play again next week.