Cricket World Ratings 26th October 2024

England's recent tour of Pakistan produced some remarkable happenings: first, England won the first test by an innings after conceding 550 first time in the field. Then, two bowlers drafted into the Pakistan side for tests two and three took an astonishing 39 wickets between them to win the series.  Meanwhile, New Zealand just beaten India twice in two games, a result few would surely have predicted.  Less surprisingly, South Africa have just won their first game in Bangladesh. My world ratings now look like this:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         187 -33 
3. New Zealand   154 +33 
4. South Africa  148 +11
5. England       136 -26
6. Sri Lanka      95 
7. Pakistan       49 +26
8. West Indies     2 
   
9. Bangladesh    -94 -12               
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
12. Afghanistan  -343 

Incorporating the results from Pakistan, the official ratings now look as follows:

1. Australia     124 
2. India         121  
   
3. South Africa  104 
4. England       103  -5
   
5. Sri Lanka      91   
   
6. New Zealand    89  
7. Pakistan       86 +10
8. West Indies    77 
9. Bangladesh     65    
10. Ireland        26  
11. Zimbabwe        4 
12. Afghanistan     0
    

Both the series in India and Bangladesh have another game to go.

Cricket World Ratings 20th October 2024

Less than a week ago, Pakistan batted first, scored 550, and lost by an innings to England, an extraordinary result and the team's sixth straight home defeat.  But they have bounced back, winning the second test, and with a third test still to play, now have a chance to win the series.  At the same time as Pakistan's loss, New Zealand were also losing (on their tour of India) but have also recovered to win, in spite of the fact that after a humiliating first innings collapase, India scored over 10 times as many runs in their second effort.  The effect of these matches on my rankings is as follows:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         220 -37 
3. England       162 -30    
4. South Africa  137
5. New Zealand   121 +36
6. Sri Lanka      95 
7. Pakistan       23 +30
8. West Indies     2  
9. Bangladesh    -82               
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
12. Afghanistan  -343 

Both series will now go to a decider, while tomorrow, South Africa begin a tour of Bangladesh.

Cricket world ratings 11th October 2024

Pakistan have been on a terrible run of results recently, but having scored 550 against England, they might finally have thought this was coming to an end.  Astonishingly, they lost by an innings.  My ratings now look as follows:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         257 
3. England       192 +14    
4. South Africa  137
5. Sri Lanka      95 
   
6. New Zealand    85  
7. West Indies     2  
8. Pakistan       -7 -14
   
9. Bangladesh    -82               
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
12. Afghanistan  -343 

Meanwhile, the official rankings have now incorporated India's recent series win over Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka's similar (but somewhat less unsurprising) win over New Zealand:

1. Australia     124 
2. India         121 +1
   
3. England       108  
   
4. South Africa  104    
5. Sri Lanka      91 +8   
6. New Zealand    89 -7  
7. West Indies    77  
   
8. Pakistan       76 
   
9. Bangladesh     65 -1  
10. Ireland        26  
11. Zimbabwe        4 
12. Afghanistan     0
    

New Zealand now have the tough job of trying to break their losing run in Inda; Pakistan at least get another crack at home against England.

Cricket World Ratings 1st October 2024

Two recent series have just ended with 2-0 home victories: Sri Lanka seeing off New Zealand, and, more predictably, India beating Bangladesh.  My world ratings now look like this, with Sri Laka leapfrogging New Zealand as a result:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         257  +3 
3. England       178    
4. South Africa  118
5. Sri Lanka      95 +18 
6. New Zealand    85 -18
7. Pakistan        7   
8. West Indies     2      
   
9. Bangladesh    -82  -2             
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
11. Afghanistan  -343 

In a couple of weeks, England travel to Pakistan, who have been struggling badly of late.

Cricket World Ratings 23rd September 2024

Bangladesh recently went to Pakistan and won twice, but after moving onto India, they’ve encountered tougher opponents and were well beaten in their first test.  Meanwhile, New Zealand, whose game against Afghanistan was washed out, have travelled onto Sri Lanka, but have also lost to their hosts, following on from their recent win in their last match against England.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         254  +2 
3. England       178    
4. South Africa  118
5. New Zealand   103 -21
6. Sri Lanka      77 +21 
   
7. Pakistan        7   
8. West Indies     2      
   
9. Bangladesh    -80  -2             
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
11. Afghanistan  -343 

A second test in both series kicks off later this week.

Cricket World Ratings 13th September 2024

England was got some great results playing "Bazball", but one thing it hasn't brought them is the consistency of the truly ruthless.  After defeating Sri Lanka in the first two tests of their current series, and taking a first innings lead in the third, they nonetheless went onto lose that final game.  Although England won the series, the defeat means they have moved backwards in the rankings. Meanwhile, a test in India between Afghanistan and New Zealand, scheduled to be the first ever meeting of the two nations, was sadly rained off without a ball being bowled (which forced me to make a change to my code-base, which hadn't been handling the seven previously completed abandoned games in the correct manner - which is, I think, to disregard them completely). The revised list now looks like this:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         252 
3. England       178 -38   
4. New Zealand   124 
5. South Africa  118   
6. Sri Lanka      56 +37 
   
7. Pakistan        7   
8. West Indies     2      
   
9. Bangladesh    -78             
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
11. Afghanistan  -343 

Meanwhile, the official rankings are completely unchanged by England's 2-1 series win:

1. Australia     124 
2. India         120
   
3. England       108  
   
4. South Africa  104    
5. New Zealand    96  
6. Sri Lanka      83  
   
7. West Indies    77  
   
8. Pakistan       76 
   
9. Bangladesh     66  
10. Ireland        26  
11. Zimbabwe        4 
12. Afghanistan     0
    

Next week, Sri Lanka head home where they'll be joined by New Zealand, while Bangladesh, fresh from winning in Pakistan, will attempt an improbable double in India.

Cricket World Ratings 3rd September 2024

Matches in two series have taken place recently.  England have (fairly comfortably) defeated their Sri Lankan visitors twice; more surprisingly, Bangladesh have twice defeated their hosts, Pakistan. It's one of Banglasdesh's most notable test series, and their rating is now within 5 points of their all-time high, set in 2018:

1. Australia     280 
2. India         252 
3. England       215 +13   
4. New Zealand   124 
5. South Africa  118   
6. Sri Lanka      19 -13 
   
7. Pakistan        7 -74  
8. West Indies     2      
   
9. Bangladesh    -78 +74             
   
10. Zimbabwe     -296
    
11. Ireland      -300   
11. Afghanistan  -343 

With the series in Pakistan now complete, the official ratings now look as follows (also now accomodating the results from South Africa's recent tour of the Caribbean):

1. Australia     124 
2. India         120
   
3. England       108  +3
   
4. South Africa  104  +1  
5. New Zealand    96  
6. Sri Lanka      83  
   
7. West Indies    77  -1 
8. Pakistan       76 -13
   
9. Bangladesh     66 +13 
10. Ireland        26  
11. Zimbabwe        4 
12. Afghanistan     0
    

England and Sri Lanka have one more match to play; also next week, New Zealand play a one-off match in Afghanistan.