Cricket: Pakistan 7th despite playing two T20 finals
Pakistan are placed seventh in the inaugural Twenty20 rankings announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday.
The 2009 World Twenty20 winners have garnered 97 points in the rankings for cricket’s shortest format with reigning champions England sitting on top with 127 points and Sri Lanka one point behind in second. Only six points separate the next four sides with New Zealand on third with 117, followed by South Africa (113) and 2007 World Twenty20 winners India fifth with 112. Australia are placed sixth with 111.
The ICC General Manager David Richardson said the rankings will give the most popular format of the game more significance.
“The launch of Twenty20 rankings will generate even more interest in the shortest format and will help give more context to bilateral matches,” he said. “We have rankings for Tests and One-Day Internationals so these rankings are a new addition and will help us draw the seedings for the next World Twenty20.”
England’s Eoin Morgan tops the Twenty20 players’ rankings in the batting department, while Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka is the top bowler. Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is ranked third in the bowlers’ rankings. The all-rounders’ list is headed by Australia’s Shane Watson, with former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi coming in second. Opener Mohammad Hafeez is ranked third in the all-rounders’ standings. Abdul Razzaq is placed 10th.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2011.
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@ rehmat and MAD: Thanks for the details.
@Mohammad Shahryar: "Seriously I dont understand how the rating is done. One cannot justify a team playing two T20 finals to be placed at number 07".
The performance in the past 24 months was considered. Hence the T20 Pakistan victory was not included in the stats since both were before the 24 month cutoff.
Here are the Pak team results in the last 2 years:
vs zim, 2-0 sept 2011 vs wi, 0-1 apr 2011 vs nz, 1-2 dec 2010 vs sa, 0-2 oct 2010 vs eng, 0-2 sept 2010 vs aus 2-0 july 2010 vs eng, 1-1 feb 2010
Total 14 matches were played of which 6 were won and 8 were lost. The only victories were against Zimbabwe which is the lowest ranked team and Australia which has been ranked 6th (just above Pakistan). If you look at series performance seems worse, 2 won, 4 lost, 1 drawn.
The performance of the last 2 years is considered. During that Pakistan won far less matches than it won.
Please read up on the basis of the rankings and the fact that they only include matches from the last two years. Then check pakistans T-20 record for the same period. This is the time frame in which Ijaz Butt was busy destroying the Pakistan team.
Seriously I dont understand how the rating is done. One cannot justify a team playing two T20 finals to be placed at number 07. Even a layman will place Paksitan amonsgt top three sides in this format of the game.
Pakistan must stop participating in international events. Only then the ICC will realize the importance of this team.