After the Annual Update, the ranking tables for all three formats have been announced.
England claimed the number 1 ranking in ODIs, while Pakistan and India retained their number 1 ranking in T20I and Test formats, respectively.
ICC Rankings provides a good measure to benchmark International Cricket teams against each other. It takes into account the recent performance of both teams before awarding points to competing teams for any match. The mechanism provides a fair idea of which teams are performing well or worse, in the International Circuit.
However, the picture painted by ICC Rankings remain strictly confined to the boundaries of respective formats. Excessive success or failure in one format simply carries no effect in the rankings of the other format. Conversely, people also tend to consider the standing of a team in all three formats to ascertain its overall standing in the Cricketing World.
Just to follow through on that thought, here is a consolidated view of all International Teams across the formats
ICC Rankings table is designed in a way where a rating of 100 points is considered the par score and this remains true for Rankings tables in all three formats. Therefore, equal weightage has been given to each format for the purpose of this calculation. The rating points of teams in different formats have been simply added to extract an overall rating of the teams.
Ranking data source: icc-cricket.com as of 3 May 2018
The table provides a good status report of teams where a team is not only competing with other teams in a particular format but it is also competing with itself in other formats. These self-comparisons tell some interesting stories. But before coming to it, it would be better to discuss a bit more about a few aspects of ICC rankings.
Along with ranking teams in an order, the basic concept of ICC Rankings is to provide performance benchmarks. Unlike equating all number 1 ranked teams , the ratings in ICC Ranking also provides the quantifiable magnitude of teams' performances.
For instance, Australia won the 2003 and 2007 World Cups without losing a single match whereas, in the 1999 edition, it came from a position of must-win situation to win the tournament. Similarly, in 1992 World Cup, Pakistan won the tournament even after winning lesser number of matches in total than England and New Zealand. But in the context of the tournament history, Australia’s world cup wins in 2003 and 2007 are considered as equal as Pakistan’s win in 1992 or Australia’s own in 1999.
The ratings system provides the opportunity where a team’s ranking can be measured by its same ranking in a different period. The different points slabs in ratings helps in exploring this opportunity. For this purpose, the performance of teams can be interpreted as per the following point slabs:
100 – 110 – just above par
90 – 100 – just below par
120+ - consistently good
130+ - exceptional
140+ - outstanding and rare
80 – 90 – consistently below par
70 – 80 – consistently bad
Below 70 – consistently disappointing
Since the amount of rating points a team earns for a match depends on opponent’s rating points before a match, the higher a team goes in the ratings, the more difficult it becomes for that team to increase it’s ratings points. Therefore, it is rare to see a team with a current rating of more than 135.
Now, looking at the consolidated rankings table, it gives a fair idea of how different teams are doing in Cricketing World. India has been performing consistently good across all formats. They are winning more times against the top sides than losing.
On the other hand, South Africa and New Zealand have been performing well enough across the formats but they are neither dominating nor struggling in any format.
England have been good in ODIs recently, doing reasonably well in T20Is while, in Test format, they are trying to catch up with top teams.
Australia have managed success in T20Is, in recent times, but their performance in Tests and ODIs has not been as good, recently, as Australian sides in the past.
Pakistan, although, has managed to outperform all other teams in T20Is, recently, but they are struggling in Test format, and their ODI performance has just been average – though, an achievement in itself considering where they were some years ago.
Sri Lanka is simply struggling in all formats. Their performance in all formats is on decline since the departure of their legendary duo of Sangakkara and Jayawardene in 2015.
Windies have been a disappointment in Tests and ODIs although they have managed to do comparatively well in T20Is, recently, including winning the WT20 in 2016.
Bangladesh is still trying to find its feet in the league of top Cricketing nations while, at the same time, Afghanistan is on the rise and with their induction in the Test rankings, they look on course to outperform Bangladesh, Windies and Sri Lanka in a few years.
The table provides a good status report of teams where a team is not only competing with other teams in a particular format but it is also competing with itself in other formats. These self-comparisons tell some interesting stories. But before coming to it, it would be better to discuss a bit more about a few aspects of ICC rankings.
Along with ranking teams in an order, the basic concept of ICC Rankings is to provide performance benchmarks. Unlike equating all number 1 ranked teams , the ratings in ICC Ranking also provides the quantifiable magnitude of teams' performances.
For instance, Australia won the 2003 and 2007 World Cups without losing a single match whereas, in the 1999 edition, it came from a position of must-win situation to win the tournament. Similarly, in 1992 World Cup, Pakistan won the tournament even after winning lesser number of matches in total than England and New Zealand. But in the context of the tournament history, Australia’s world cup wins in 2003 and 2007 are considered as equal as Pakistan’s win in 1992 or Australia’s own in 1999.
The ratings system provides the opportunity where a team’s ranking can be measured by its same ranking in a different period. The different points slabs in ratings helps in exploring this opportunity. For this purpose, the performance of teams can be interpreted as per the following point slabs:
100 – 110 – just above par
90 – 100 – just below par
120+ - consistently good
130+ - exceptional
140+ - outstanding and rare
80 – 90 – consistently below par
70 – 80 – consistently bad
Below 70 – consistently disappointing
Since the amount of rating points a team earns for a match depends on opponent’s rating points before a match, the higher a team goes in the ratings, the more difficult it becomes for that team to increase it’s ratings points. Therefore, it is rare to see a team with a current rating of more than 135.
Now, looking at the consolidated rankings table, it gives a fair idea of how different teams are doing in Cricketing World. India has been performing consistently good across all formats. They are winning more times against the top sides than losing.
Pakistan, although, has managed to outperform all other teams in T20Is, recently, but they are struggling in Test format, and their ODI performance has just been average – though, an achievement in itself considering where they were some years ago.
Juxtaposition of CRICKET and Kamran Muzaffer brings out krick3r. A techie by qualification, a business manager by profession - yet, a cricket enthusiast by heart.