ICC Test Championship
The ICC Test Championship is an international competition run by theInternational Cricket Council in the sport of cricket for the 10 teams that play Test cricket. The competition is notional in the sense that it is simply a ranking scheme overlaid on all international matches that are otherwise played as part of regular Test cricket scheduling with no consideration of home or away status.
In essence, after every Test series, the two teams involved receive points based on a mathematical formula. The total of each team's points total is divided by the total number of matches to give a 'rating', and the Test-playing teams are ranked by order of rating (this can be shown in a table).
The points for winning a Test match or series are greater than the team's rating, increasing the rating, and the points for losing the match or series are always less than the rating, reducing the rating. A drawn match between higher and lower rated teams will benefit the lower-rated team at the expense of the higher-rated team. An 'average' team that wins as often as it loses while playing a mix of stronger and weaker teams should have a rating of 100.
The International Cricket Council awards a trophy, the ICC Test Championship mace, to the team holding the highest rating. The mace is transferred whenever a new team moves to the top of the rating list.
As of 22 August 2011, England lead the ICC Test Championship with a rating of 125, while the lowest rated team, Bangladesh, has a rating of 8.
The calculations for the table are performed as follows:
Test championship calculations
i
- Each team scores points based on the results of their matches.
- Each team's rating is equal to its total points scored divided by the total matches and series played. (A series must include at least two Tests).
- A series only counts if played in the last three years.
- Series played in the first two years of the three-year limit count half; essentially, recent matches are given more weight.
- To determine a team's rating after a particular series:
- Find the series result
- Award 1 point to a team for each win
- Award 1/2 point to a team for each draw
- Award 1 bonus point to the team winning the series
- Award 1/2 bonus point to each team if the series is drawn
- Convert the series result to actual ratings points
- If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is less than 40 points, then the ratings points for each team equals:
- (The team's own series result) multiplied by (50 points MORE than the opponent's rating) PLUS
- (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (50 points LESS than the opponent's rating)
- If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40 points, then the ratings points for the stronger team equals:
- (The team's own series result) multiplied by (10 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
- (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (90 points LESS than the team's own rating)
- If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40 points, then the ratings points for the weaker team equals:
- (The team's own series result) multiplied by (90 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
- (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (10 points LESS than the team's own rating)
- If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is less than 40 points, then the ratings points for each team equals:
- Add the ratings points scored by the team to the total ratings points already scored (in previous matches, as reflected by the Table)
- Update the number of matches played by the team through adding one more than the number of games in the series (a two Test match series will result in the match count getting incremented by three)
- Divide the new rating points with the updated number of matches to get the final rating.
- Find the series result
[edit]Current rankings
Main Test table]
| Rank | Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  England | 37 | 4634 | 125 |
| 2 |  South Africa | 21 | 2469 | 118 |
| 3 |  India | 37 | 4336 | 117 |
| 4 |  Sri Lanka | 23 | 2486 | 108 |
| 5 |  Australia | 27 | 2692 | 100 |
| 6 |  Pakistan | 23 | 2132 | 93 |
| 7 |  West Indies | 23 | 2039 | 89 |
| 8 |  New Zealand | 19 | 1485 | 78 |
| 9 |  Bangladesh | 12 | 94 | 8 |
| Reference: ICC Rankings, 22 August 2011 | ||||
- Note: Zimbabwe are currently unranked, as they have played insufficient matches. They have 63 points and a rating of 63.
Historical rankings
The ICC provides ratings for the end of each month back to June 2003. The teams that have successively held the highest rating since that date, by whole month periods, are:
| Team | Start | End | Total Months | Highest Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | June 2003 | July 2009 | 74 | 143 |
| South Africa | August 2009 | November 2009 | 4 | 122 |
| India | December 2009 | July 2011 | 20 | 130 |
| England | August 2011 | present | 0 | 125 |
| Reference: ICC Rankings | ||||
Since the ICC officially began ranking teams in 2003, Australia has dominated as it had done so in Test cricket since around 1995. However from 2009, five teams (Australia, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and England) have competed for the top positions.
Tournament format
For the past few years there has been speculation that the ICC would introduce a Test Championship tournament, similar to that of the World Cup, Champions Trophy, World Twenty20 and ICC Intercontinental Cup.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has proposed a quadrennial tournament with the four best-performing nations to meet in semi-finals and a final, in a bid to boost flagging interest in the longest form of the sport.The first tournament could replace the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
ICC ODI Championship
he ICC ODI Championship is an international One Day International cricket competition run by the International Cricket Council. The competition is notional in that it is simply a ranking scheme overlaid on the regular ODI match schedule. After every ODI match, the two teams involved receive points based on a mathematical formula. The total of each team's points total is divided by the total number of matches to give a rating, and all teams are ranked on a table in order of rating.
By analogy to cricket batting averages, the points for winning an ODI match are always greater than the team's rating, increasing the rating, and the points for losing an ODI match are always less than the rating, reducing the rating. A drawn match between higher and lower rated teams will benefits the lower-rated team at the expense of the higher-rated team. An "average" team that wins as often as it loses while playing a mix of stronger and weaker teams should have a rating of 100.
As of 11 September 2011, Australia lead the ICC ODI Championship with a rating of 130, while the lowest rated team, Kenya, has a rating of 0.
The championship consists of two separate ranking tables. The ten ICC Full Members that play Test cricket are automatically listed on the main table. The six Associate Members with One Day International status are listed on a secondary table, but are eligible for promotion to the main table by meeting one of the following criteria
Qualification
- two wins in ODIs against Full Members
- one win in an ODI against a Full Member and also have won more than 60% of qualifying matches versus other Associates
Ireland qualified for the main table following their victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup,[2]. and the Netherlandsqualified in 2010 by beating Bangladesh. Kenya are also listed on the main table as they previously had permanent ODI status.
[edit]Points
The calculations for the Table are performed as follows:
- Each team scores points based on the results of their matches.
- Each team's rating is equal to its total points scored divided by the total matches played. (Series are not significant in these calculations).
- A match only counts if played in the last three years.
- Matches played in the first year of the three-year limit count one-third; matches played in the second year count two-thirds; matches played in the last year count fully; essentially, recent matches are given higher weighting.
- To determine a team's rating after a particular match:
- Determine the match result (win, loss, or tie)
- Calculate the match points scored:
- If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the match is fewer than 40 points, then:
- The winner scores 50 points more than the opponent's rating
- The loser scores 50 points fewer than the opponent's rating
- Each team in a tie scores the opponent's rating
- If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the match is more than or equal to 40 points, then :
- The winner, if it is the stronger team, scores 10 points more than its own rating
- The winner, if it is the weaker team, scores 90 points more than its own rating
- The loser, if it is the stronger team, scores 90 points fewer than its own rating
- The loser, if it is the weaker team, scores 10 points fewer than its own rating
- The stronger team in a tie scores 40 points fewer than its own rating
- The weaker team in a tie scores 40 points more than its own rating
- If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the match is fewer than 40 points, then:
- Add the match points scored to the points already scored (in previous matches as reflected by the Table) and determine the new rating. However, matches(and the points) which do not lie in last three year range will have to be removed.
- Points earned by teams depend on the opponents ratings, therefore this system needed to assign base ratings to teams when it started.
Ranking table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 30 | 3,894 | 130 |
| 2 | Sri Lanka | 28 | 3,327 | 119 |
| 3 | South Africa | 19 | 2,197 | 116 |
| 4 | India | 32 | 3,632 | 114 |
| 5 | England | 28 | 2,820 | 111 |
| 6 | Pakistan | 28 | 2,820 | 101 |
| 7 | New Zealand | 22 | 1,973 | 90 |
| 8 | West Indies | 19 | 1,475 | 78 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 26 | 1,648 | 63 |
| 10 |  Zimbabwe | 26 | 1,165 | 45 |
| 11 |  Ireland | 12 | 492 | 41 |
| 12 |  Netherlands | 7 | 37 | 5 |
| 13 |  Kenya | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Reference: ICC Rankings, 11 September 2011 | ||||
Associate rankings
In late 2005, the International Cricket Council ranked the top non-Test nations from 11-30 to complement the Test nations' rankings in the ICC ODI Championship. The ICC used the results from the 2005 ICC Trophy and WCQS Division 2 competition (i.e. the primary qualification mechanisms for the 2007 Cricket World Cup) to rank the nations.
These rankings were used to seed the initial stage of the global World Cricket League. Teams ranked 11-16 were placed into Division 1; teams 17-20 were placed into Division 2; teams 21-24 were placed into Division 3; the remaining teams were placed into the upper divisions of their respective regional qualifiers.
As of 19 April 2009 the top six associates/affiliates gained one day status. Kenya and Ireland have both qualified to appear on the main rating table, Kenya from its existing status and Ireland for its two victories in the 2007 World Cup. Following their victory over Bangladesh in July 2010, the Netherlands joined the main table. Afghanistan, Canada and Scotland remain on the secondary table. In May 2009, the ICC added a rankings table for all associate and affiliate members. This contained both global and regional placings.
Associate rankings as at 14 October 2009 according to ICC]
| Rank | Nation | Regional Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 14 |  Afghanistan | Asia No. 1 Associate/Affiliate member |
| 15 |  Scotland | Europe 3 |
| 16 |  Canada | Americas No.1 Associate/Affiliate member |
| 17 |  United Arab Emirates | Asia 2 |
| 18 |  Namibia | Africa 2 |
| 19 |  United States | Americas 2 |
| 20 |  Uganda | Africa 3 |
| 21 |  Oman | Asia 3 |
| 22 |  Denmark | Europe 4 |
| 23 |  Papua New Guinea | East Asia - Pacific No.1 Associate/Affiliate member |
| 24 |  Hong Kong | Asia 4 |
| 25 |  Bermuda | Americas 3 |
| 26 |  Cayman Islands | Americas 4 |
| 27 |  Italy | Europe 5 |
| 28 |  Tanzania | Africa 4 |
| 29 |  Fiji | EAP 2 |
| 30 |  Jersey | Europe 6 |
| 31 |  Nepal | Asia 5 |
| 32 |  Argentina | Americas 5 |
| 33 |  Singapore | Asia 6 |
| 34 |  Bahrain | Asia 7 |
| 35 |  Guernsey | Europe 7 |
| 36 |  Malaysia | Asia 8 |
| 37 |  Botswana | Africa 5 |
| 38 |  Norway | Europe 8 |
| 39 |  Nigeria | Africa 6 |
| 40 |  Japan | EAP 3 |
| 41 |  Suriname | Americas 6 |
| 42 |  Gibraltar | Europe 9 |
Historical ICC ODI Champions
The ICC provides ratings for the end of each month back to October 2002. This table lists the teams that have successively held the highest rating since that date, by whole month periods.
| Team | Start | End | Total Months | Cumulative Months | Highest Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | October 2002 | January 2007 | 52 | 52 | 140 |
| South Africa | February 2007 | February 2007 | 1 | 1 | 128 |
| Australia | March 2007 | February 2008 | 12 | 64 | 130 |
| South Africa | March 2008 | May 2008 | 3 | 4 | 127 |
| Australia | June 2008 | December 2008 | 7 | 71 | 131 |
| South Africa | January 2009 | August 2009 | 8 | 12 | 127 |
| Australia | September 2009 | present | 24 | 95 | 134 |
| Reference: ICC Rankings | |||||
ICC Player Rankings
The ICC Player Rankings are a widely followed system of rankings for international cricketers based on their recent performances. The current sponsor is Reliance Mobile who have signed a deal with the ICC that will last until 2015
The ratings were developed at the suggestion of Ted Dexter in 1987. The intention was to produce a better indication of players' current standing in the sport than is provided by comparing their averages. Career averages are based on a player's entire career and do not make any allowance for match conditions or the strength of the opposition, whereas the ratings are biased towards recent form and account for match conditions and the quality of the opponent using statistical measures.
Initially the rankings were for Test cricket only, but separate One Day International rankings were introduced in 1998. Both sets of rankings have now been calculated back to the start of those forms of the game.
Year end top ranked players in Test Cricket
Test Cricket Rankings
| Date | Top Batsman | Country | Top Bowler | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2010 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | Dale Steyn | South Africa |
| 31 December 2009 | Gautam Gambhir | India | Dale Steyn | South Africa |
| 31 December 2008 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka |
| 31 December 2007 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka |
| 31 December 2006 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka |
| 31 December 2005 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | Shane Warne | Australia |
| 31 December 2004 | Rahul Dravid | India | Glenn McGrath | Australia |
| 31 December 2003 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka |
| 31 December 2002 | Matthew Hayden | Australia | Glenn McGrath | Australia |
| 31 December 2001 | Brian Lara | West Indies | Glenn McGrath | Australia |
| 31 December 2000 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | Shaun Pollock | South Africa |
Batsmen with a peak rating of 900 points or more
| Rank | Name | Played for | Highest rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Don Bradman | Australia | 961 |
| 2 | Sir Len Hutton | England | 945 |
| 3 | Sir Jack Hobbs | England | 942 |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 942 |
| 5 | Peter May | England | 941 |
| 6 | Sir Vivian Richards | West Indies | 938 |
| 6 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 938 |
| 6 | Sir Garry Sobers | West Indies | 938 |
| 6 | Sir Clyde Walcott | West Indies | 938 |
| 10 | Matthew Hayden | Australia | 935 |
| 10 | Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 935 |
| 12 | Mohammad Yousuf | Pakistan | 933 |
| 13 | Sir Everton Weekes | West Indies | 927 |
| 13 | Graeme Pollock | South Africa | 927 |
| 15 | Dudley Nourse | South Africa | 922 |
| 15 | Doug Walters | Australia | 922 |
| 17 | Neil Harvey | Australia | 921 |
| 17 | Mike Hussey | Australia | 921 |
| 19 | Denis Compton | England | 917 |
| 20 | Sunil Gavaskar | India | 916 |
| 21 | George Headley | West Indies | 915 |
| 22 | Ken Barrington | England | 914 |
| 23 | Brian Lara | West Indies | 911 |
| 24 | Kevin Pietersen | England | 909 |
| 25 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | 901 |
Bowlers with a peak rating of 900 points or more
| Rank | Name | Played for | Highest rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney Barnes | England | 932 |
| 2 | George Lohmann | England | 931 |
| 3 | Imran Khan | Pakistan | 922 |
| 4 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 920 |
| 5 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 914 |
| 6 | Curtly Ambrose | West Indies | 912 |
| 6 | Tony Lock | England | 912 |
| 8 | Sir Ian Botham | England | 911 |
| 9 | Malcolm Marshall | West Indies | 910 |
| 10 | Waqar Younis | Pakistan | 909 |
| 10 | Sir Richard Hadlee | New Zealand | 909 |
| 10 | Shaun Pollock | South Africa | 909 |
| 13 | Alan Davidson | Australia | 908 |
| 14 | Derek Underwood | England | 907 |
| 15 | Shane Warne | Australia | 905 |
| 16 | Sir Alec Bedser | England | 903 |
| 17 | Clarrie Grimmett | Australia | 901 |
| 17 | Bill O'Reilly | Australia | 901 |
| 19 | Bill Johnston | Australia | 900 |
One-Day International (ODI) Cricket Rankings
Year end top ranked players in ODI Cricket
| Date | Top Batsman | Country | Top Bowler | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2010 | Hashim Amla | South Africa | Daniel Vettori | New Zealand |
| 31 December 2009 | MS Dhoni | India | Daniel Vettori | New Zealand |
| 31 December 2008 | Michael Hussey | Australia | Nathan Bracken | Australia |
| 31 December 2007 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | Shaun Pollock | South Africa |
| 31 December 2006 | Michael Hussey | Australia | Shaun Pollock | South Africa |
| 31 December 2005 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | Glenn McGrath | Australia |
| 31 December 2004 | Adam Gilchrist | Australia | Shaun Pollock | South Africa |
| 31 December 2003 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | Shaun Pollock | South Africa |
| 31 December 2002 | Matthew Hayden | Australia | Shaun Pollock | South Africa |
| 31 December 2001 | Michael Bevan | Australia | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka |
| 31 December 2000 | Michael Bevan | Australia | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka |
All time highest ODI rankings
The following tables list the top 10 player rankings in the history of ODI cricket. The tables are complete to 5 January 2008.
Top 10 Rankings: Batting
| Rank | Name | Played for | Highest rating | Year Achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Vivian Richards | West Indies | 935 | 1985 |
| 2 | Zaheer Abbas | Pakistan | 931 | 1983 |
| 3 | Greg Chappell | Australia | 921 | 1981 |
| 4 | David Gower | England | 919 | 1983 |
| 5 | Dean Jones | Australia | 918 | 1991 |
| 6 | Javed Miandad | Pakistan | 910 | 1987 |
| 7 | Brian Lara | West Indies | 908 | 1993 |
| 8 | Desmond Haynes | West Indies | 900 | 1985 |
| 8 | Gary Kirsten | South Africa | 900 | 1996 |
| 10 | Allan Lamb | England | 897 | 1985 |
Top 10 Rankings: Bowling
| Rank | Name | Played for | Highest rating | Year Achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joel Garner | West Indies | 940 | 1985 |
| 2 | Sir Richard Hadlee | New Zealand | 923 | 1983 |
| 3 | Shaun Pollock | South Africa | 920 | 2006 |
| 4 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 913 | 2002 |
| 5 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 903 | 2002 |
| 6 | Ewen Chatfield | New Zealand | 892 | 1984 |
| 7 | Malcolm Marshall | West Indies | 891 | 1985 |
| 7 | Dennis Lillee | Australia | 891 | 1982 |
| 9 | Curtly Ambrose | West Indies | 877 | 1991 |
| 10 | Michael Holding | West Indies | 875 | 1985 |
