Jan
23
2010

why rankings are bullshit

An article by paddle

BREAKING NEWS: Sir Richard Hadlee has just said that India deserved to be the number one test side. So, Ian O Brien is not the only New Zealander who reads this blog.

Yesterday, Ms Print wrote something about why India is not the absolute number one team in the world. I strongly recommend you read that one first before coming back here. Here is that post.

I somehow disagree as well as agree with Ms Print on this one.

I disagree because India is, among the current lot, the most deserving to be number one. We are playing the most consistent cricket.

And bear in mind that its a fan’s view, not a fanatic’s.

On the other hand, I agree because a comment on the same post by TifosiGuy led me to a bit of silent contemplation about the rankings system. Here is the said comment:

South Africa became #1 in the mid 2000’s after beating Bangladesh thanks to some quirky ICC calculations when all and sundry knew the rankings went : Australia, day light, night, and then the rest.

Never did anyone question it then ! So why this silly question now ?

@TifosiGuy When SA got the number one tag, it was because at that time they were playing great cricket and the Aussies were not playing that much away from home.

In my honest opinion, rankings are only plausible when all the stakeholders play consistently together, for example in tennis. In a game like cricket or hockey or international football, rankings should not be revised in real time. The rankings should be over the course of a full FTP cycle. What do YOU think? The comment’s section is all yours.

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Tags: ICC, icc rankings, India aren't worth of number one Test ranking, test cricket

About the Author: Ankit Mishra

Paddle loves supporting India when he is not busy bashing them

7 Comments + Add Comment

Tifosiguy January 23, 2010 at 7:27 pm

Say when exactly in the mid 2000′s were South Africa playing better cricket than Australia ????

I’m NOT referring to the series end of 2008-early 2009 when South Africa beat Aus in Aus and subsequently became #1. No quibble about that.

I was referring to a time , if memory bank serves me right, it was in 2003 that it happend. Funnily enough Australia had in the previous year beaten, not make that thrashed South Africa both in Australia and in South Africa. And yet you make the statement – South Africa were playing great cricket !!

Sorry mate, but your argument doesn’t hold water. From end of the 90′s till the end of 2008 – it was Australia that ruled the world.

So I reiterate my point – you can’t quibble with India being rated #1 now, when South Africa became #1 due to the same stupid rankings, when all knew that it should have been Australia.

If it was ok for South Africa to be ranked #1 then , it’s more than OK for India to be ranked #1 now !

Cheers

Reply
paddle January 23, 2010 at 7:30 pm

apologies then…i presumed that it was the end 2008 you were talking about…

the bangladesh series was an oversight…

cheers…

and yeah, welcome to paddle sweep…

Reply
paddle January 23, 2010 at 7:32 pm

but don’t you agree that the rankings are two hoots bullshit?

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Tifosiguy January 23, 2010 at 7:39 pm

Paddle

Anything to do with ICC means diddlysquat. A more inept organisation you will not see. So to expect them to come up with a decent ranking systme, is way too much.

All it leads to is discussion(s) on who is the best.

In my opinion, India at this moment have ( if all players are available) the best squad/team. It wouldn’t be past them to beat either or even both Australia and South Africa in their respective home tufs.

They have the best batting lineup in the world, and a decent seam attack and if Harbhajan get’s his head right, then a quality spinner as well. You don’t see this in any other team.

Ratingwise I think presently it goes Ind/S Af/Aus /SL and then the rest.. Can’t quibble with the first three, SL and beyond I don’t care because all are equally useless.

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paddle January 23, 2010 at 7:42 pm

yeah, though i loved the perspective on the windies by ms print… they are loved, for sure..

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mspr1nt January 23, 2010 at 7:45 pm

I dream of the day when the WI return to their former glory and Kemar Roach is the spearhead of the attack as he should be. And for the day Sulieman finally crushes somebody’s head through their helmet and then follows it up with a totally unsuspected beamer.
mspr1nt´s last blog ..THE IPL IS UPON US!

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Rathesh January 23, 2010 at 11:08 pm

Its a valid question because everybody seems to take these thing seriously in India. Our bowling is really , as usual, the weak link. We simply don’t have a proper fast bowler and also a spinner who we can always rely. Our bowling consist of one decent and two muddle headed medium fast bowlers who rarely bowl well as a unit.

Not to say that any other team is miles ahead of us but generally SA looks a slightly better team and we are as good as Australia, I reckon.

Also as displayed in IPL & Sehwag comments fiasco we really don’t have any moral authority to lecture anybody about cricketing spirit or lack of it

Reply