best team in world cricket right now

[Howe_zat]

It seems to me to answer this question we need a parameter of what time frame we should be looking at.

Are we judging sides on performances over the last 3-4 years or is that going back too far??

Depends on the team doesn't it?

Misbah's Pakistan easily go back that far. Yeah they have changed Ajmal for Yasir but that's pretty much the same effect, and they're the same team led by that same middle order.

England clearly don't. The 2011-13 side that relied on Trott, KP, Bell and Prior for runs and then Swann to hold a 4-man attack together has not only changed personnel they've completely changed the way they play.

On comms we were talking about Australia having that away win in SA but half that team is gone including Johnson, Harris and Clarke who pretty much won that series for them.

tl;dr: Dunno

 

[SeamUp]

and NZ 85-87

Or SA 06-15

Or SA side that couldn't quite topple Australia in the 90's to early 2000's

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I think the team held together by a 42 year-old and a 38 year-old is probably the best atm, but one wonders how long that can last.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Or SA 06-13

Or SA side that couldn't quite topple Australia in the 90's to early 2000's

Definitely

 

[StephenZA]

Still think we need a few batsman to nail down positions ie like most of the test cricketing world.

Stephen Cook as an opening partner for Portta Elgar.

The big thing for me is getting the best-man between Duminy, Bavuma, van Zyl & Rossouw. Possibly 2 positions ? Is Faf safe ? Otherwise move to the next generation.

I like Bavuma, don`t think Faf is safe. van Zyl needs another shot I`m over Rossouw. And Duminy is problematic cause I just don`t trust him anymore to do the job. I want to see Zubayr Hamza and Duanne Olivier around the SA camp sooner rather than later.

 

[vcs]

As an India fan I am amazed someone actually rates us #1. I really do not see how we are better than any of the other 3. Performance in Windies and SL does show we have potential but to me it goes:


Pak, Eng, Aus, India, SA, NZ


and I would rate 3-6 as so interchangeable that I might have a different order even tomorrow.

Pretty much agree with all of that. For me top 2 are also interchangeable.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I'll go India, Pakistan, Australia, England in that order, and I still think South Africa are a stronger side than NZ assuming they're all fit by now.

I think people look for away wins so hard that they forget that repeated, vigorous kicking of opposition teeth at home actually takes some doing as well.

Given that Pakistan have not lost a home series in 6 years, any particular reason they didn't make it to your top spot?

I'd agree with you. There is very little between the top 6, including SA. Anyone who thinks there is an outright no.1 in all conditions is delusional.

Australia is probably a clear no. 1 almost anywhere except asia, but given that 3 of the top 7 sides are Asian that's a very big issue.

Hey when did the Ashes stop being a home and away affair? Since 2002 I'd assume? Can't quite put my finger on it.

 

[Black_Warrior]

It does amaze me that SA has 1 bad year where we played on some raging turners in India and struggled, and had a poor series against England. With a number of injured players, so subsequently we now can`t break into the top 5, so the only team SA are better than is WI?.... I do find that hard to understand. Not saying we are at the top....but.

I totally understand that. And it really frustrates me...but that's how people's memory works. South Africa haven't played in 6 months and the last two times they played. This is exactly how it is with Pakistan too who don't have a regular schedule. People just forget that they exist. The only reason they are being talked about now is because they have just played well in a recently concluded series and have a packed schedule coming up. But over the last 4-5 years, they would often go 6-7 months without any test series or international cricket and people would forget they exist.

I think this will only work in South Africa's favour especially someone like Steyn. He is kinda forgotten now isn't he. People are writing him off..my friend asked me the other day 'Has Steyn retired? Where is he?" I remember how upset he was that his 400th wicket in Bangladesh (in the middle of a typical Steyn spell) got zero attention and how fired up he was. Last time I saw him, he came back and broke a solid partnership and looked the most threatening bowler although half fit against England. I can imagine how hungry he would be, not having played regular cricket for almost a year. I can see some fiery spells coming NZ's way and then this conversation about best team will change drastically.

 

[Howe_zat]

Given that Pakistan have not lost a home series in 6 years, any particular reason they didn't make it to your top spot?

Because not losing isn't the same think as giving out regular tonkings. If England had won this last test I might have made them top, but they keep showing themselves unable to close out series wins decisively. It matters.

 

[Furball]

I agree if Steyn and Phialnder attain full fitness SA will reclaim the top spot.

I don't. Their batting is woeful.

 

[Furball]

Pakistan

I think England's peak outdoes any other side but relies on so many things clicking into place that realistically we are a good year or more away from being able to challenge for that.

I'd go

Pakistan
England
India
Australia
New Zealand

Funny how I said almost exactly that recently and got slated.

 

[DriveClub]

Funny how I said almost exactly that recently and got slated.

Because no one seems to like you furry, we should tag team

 

[DriveClub]

Windies the clear 2nd best team atm

 

[Slifer]

England>Australia>Pakistan>India>South Africa>New Zealand>Sri Lanka>>>West Indies>Bangladesh>Zimbabwe

 

[Black_Warrior]

Interesting fact in the context of this topic, England currently hold the Test trophy against every test nation except Pakistan. So they have to be considered in the top 2 sides today. How that plays out come January 2017 post the India series will be interesting.

 

[TheJediBrah]

England>Australia>Pakistan>India>South Africa>New Zealand>Sri Lanka>>>West Indies>Bangladesh>Zimbabwe

First post this thread that has actually been at least somewhat accurate IMO

 

[Black_Warrior]

 

[TheJediBrah]

Still I'd rather have Australia as no. 1 cause Straya **** and SA should probably slip behind NZ and SL just going on very recent history. Not sure anything over 1.5-2 years ago is really relevant at this stage.

And judging by the way South Africa A (with half the side first-choice Test players) have been going on their tour of Aus (getting comprehensively beaten by an Australian 4th XI in 4 day games and somehow losing to a team of youngsters who aren't even First-class players in a 50 over game), things aren't looking up for them.

Sri Lanka have really impressed me. Prior to this series I would have had them at 7 well behind SA and NZ

 

[Daemon]

This is based on the 'now' as defined by Hendrix and Howe previously. I have excluded WI mostly, because they're terrible.

Dominate at home (in order): Australia, India, Pakistan, England

Away performances in order:

Pakistan is good in SL, India (assumed), better than the above two teams in England, and mostly untested everywhere else though they look like they can hold their own and not be terrible in SA and Aus.

England is all round decent in every country except Straya, beat SA in SA, probably the only team besides Pakistan that has a shot at beating India in India, and they didn't completely embarrass themselves in the UAE which is a plus. On the downside they do random **** like lose to the WI.

Australia is good in SA, NZ, get destroyed everywhere else that counts

India is good in SL, UAE (assumed) and can hold their own but probably not win in SA, NZ. Likely to get smashed in England and Australia


Basically you can make an argument for all of these teams to be #1, depending on your preference on home vs away performances.

 

[TheJediBrah]

For me I'd break it into groups that are close to equal to each other

Tier 1:
England, India, Australia, Pakistan

Tier 2:
NZ, SA, SL