Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
Hey TJB, would you like an asterisk beside the 0-3 loss in Sri Lanka?
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best team in world cricket right now
- Thread starter Shady Slim
- Start date
TheJediBrah
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Why would I? It's not like Australia dominate the first 2 of the series with nothing to show for it. They were well and truly beaten in every game?Hey TJB, would you like an asterisk beside the 0-3 loss in Sri Lanka?
Silly question warriah
Jono
Virat Kohli (c)
This is pretty wrong. Lankans twice had batsmen play unbelievable knocks
Motorwada
Banned
What's interesting is how India/Australia and Pakistan/England are so similar.
Both Ind/Oz have extremely dominant home records. They both last lost a home match/series in 2012. (Coincidentally both Eng and SA will be touring Ind/Oz this year again).
Since those last losses Australia hove won 14/18 and India 9/10.
Both have been good in their smaller island neighbors who play a similar sort of cricket. Both have lost in each others smaller island neighbors.
Both are extremely dominant in the Caribbean (And against WI in general and have not lost a match against them in years).
Australia have also been good in SA and India's equivalent would be Pakistan but we don't play there anymore.
Both England/Pakistan while good at home still are not as dominant as India/Australia and lose matches and draw series from time to time.
Both of them struggle in the Caribbean.
England/Pakistan seem more well rounded while Ind/Oz absolutely dominate in some conditions while really struggling in others.
Both Ind/Oz have extremely dominant home records. They both last lost a home match/series in 2012. (Coincidentally both Eng and SA will be touring Ind/Oz this year again).
Since those last losses Australia hove won 14/18 and India 9/10.
Both have been good in their smaller island neighbors who play a similar sort of cricket. Both have lost in each others smaller island neighbors.
Both are extremely dominant in the Caribbean (And against WI in general and have not lost a match against them in years).
Australia have also been good in SA and India's equivalent would be Pakistan but we don't play there anymore.
Both England/Pakistan while good at home still are not as dominant as India/Australia and lose matches and draw series from time to time.
Both of them struggle in the Caribbean.
England/Pakistan seem more well rounded while Ind/Oz absolutely dominate in some conditions while really struggling in others.
OverratedSanity
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I think SA are better than the seventh best in the world.
TheJediBrah
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fmd you are the most pathetic individual I've come across in any format in my life
Motorwada
Banned
Actually India was 6th or something before that series. Since they lost so heavily to a lower ranked team (not even 2-3) they lost a lot of points.
Adders
Cricketer Of The Year
If anyone else said that to me I may be worried mate.........but I suspect you don't get out much, so....
Magrat Garlick
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TheJediBrah
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heh well played actually
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
This is something I think about every day now. Given that there is no clear dominant side, it all comes down to what criteria one values most. Some of them will be objective, others not so much. The most objective criteria is obviously the ranking system and going by that, India is the best side followed by Pakistan. Period.
Now I do believe the ranking system could be made more objective and better by giving teams more points for winning tests overseas and lose more points for losing tests at home.
So, other than the ranking system, it really becomes all subjective and that usually means recent memory.
Until August 2016, South Africa were considered a horrible side and we were talking about how there is something rotten in their cricket, totally forgetting their achievement from 2007 onwards up to 2014-15 and especially their excellent away record in an era where everyone struggled outside. 2 series defeats and they were gone. Well I am glad they came back the way they did and made a lot of people look like fools.
South Africa clearly have the best pace attack in the world now and it's an attack if fit, should succeed in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England...so that's 4 nations sorted, and they can potentially win their next 2 away series - New Zealand and England and are expected to comfortably defeat Sri Lanka at home. That should definitely bring them in the top 2.
England have a more experienced and skilled attack, and should succeed in all those 4 nations but they don't have much cricket there until next summer's home season. So I don't expect them to climb up the rankings anytime soon.
India will by the end of the home season next March have a comfortable lead at the top of the rankings, but there are serious question marks over their overseas record and all the accolades King Kohli gets now will disappear very fast if 2018 away tours are a repeat of 2011 and 2014 away tours. Dhoni was the daring captain when he led India to number 1 rankings in 09-10..it was only with the overseas defeats that the unflappable Dhoni became indifferent and disinterested Dhoni.
Pakistan are a good test side, and probably have the most varied attack simply on account of having the best spinner in the world (**** you *****) but their batting line up does have serious question marks as well against seaming and bouncy wickets and given that they are in the middle of one and going to face a tough summer in Australia, this side can fall apart very soon and go down in the rankings. Batting collapses are a bit more common now than they were a year ago and it is now getting a bit worrying. I feel Team Misbah might just have reached their peak and this is their ceiling.
The seam attack is also short of becoming as potent as South Africa or Australia's ones because of the inconsistency in Rahat and Sohail and Amir way short of what is expected of him.
Australia I feel are still a good side in their own conditions, and should still beat majority of the sides at home. They are not a very strong batting unit but I will still back them blast hundreds on their home roads. Tracks like Hobart are uncommon in Australia and no other side in the world has a pace attack like South Africa's. So expect them to gain points against Pakistan later in summer, but then a major thrashing is coming their way in February, so a lot of points will be lost there.
These 5 are the top 5 sides in world cricket and I feel they will beat each other when the conditions suit them and lose when it doesn't. They all have specific strengths (South Africa in pace attack), (India and Pakistan in spin attack), (England in depth of their side, with their allrounders) and Australia (with their opening bowler and guys like Warner, Khawaja etc who can tear you apart on flat tracks).
It will be a game of musical chairs between the top 5 and teams that get favourable schedules will enjoy greater time at the top. India have the advantage of playing 1-2 years of home cricket, and then a year of away cricket and that will boost their rankings the most. So expect them to remain at 1 for some time, followed closely by South Africa based on the upcoming schedule.
Now I do believe the ranking system could be made more objective and better by giving teams more points for winning tests overseas and lose more points for losing tests at home.
So, other than the ranking system, it really becomes all subjective and that usually means recent memory.
Until August 2016, South Africa were considered a horrible side and we were talking about how there is something rotten in their cricket, totally forgetting their achievement from 2007 onwards up to 2014-15 and especially their excellent away record in an era where everyone struggled outside. 2 series defeats and they were gone. Well I am glad they came back the way they did and made a lot of people look like fools.
South Africa clearly have the best pace attack in the world now and it's an attack if fit, should succeed in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England...so that's 4 nations sorted, and they can potentially win their next 2 away series - New Zealand and England and are expected to comfortably defeat Sri Lanka at home. That should definitely bring them in the top 2.
England have a more experienced and skilled attack, and should succeed in all those 4 nations but they don't have much cricket there until next summer's home season. So I don't expect them to climb up the rankings anytime soon.
India will by the end of the home season next March have a comfortable lead at the top of the rankings, but there are serious question marks over their overseas record and all the accolades King Kohli gets now will disappear very fast if 2018 away tours are a repeat of 2011 and 2014 away tours. Dhoni was the daring captain when he led India to number 1 rankings in 09-10..it was only with the overseas defeats that the unflappable Dhoni became indifferent and disinterested Dhoni.
Pakistan are a good test side, and probably have the most varied attack simply on account of having the best spinner in the world (**** you *****) but their batting line up does have serious question marks as well against seaming and bouncy wickets and given that they are in the middle of one and going to face a tough summer in Australia, this side can fall apart very soon and go down in the rankings. Batting collapses are a bit more common now than they were a year ago and it is now getting a bit worrying. I feel Team Misbah might just have reached their peak and this is their ceiling.
The seam attack is also short of becoming as potent as South Africa or Australia's ones because of the inconsistency in Rahat and Sohail and Amir way short of what is expected of him.
Australia I feel are still a good side in their own conditions, and should still beat majority of the sides at home. They are not a very strong batting unit but I will still back them blast hundreds on their home roads. Tracks like Hobart are uncommon in Australia and no other side in the world has a pace attack like South Africa's. So expect them to gain points against Pakistan later in summer, but then a major thrashing is coming their way in February, so a lot of points will be lost there.
These 5 are the top 5 sides in world cricket and I feel they will beat each other when the conditions suit them and lose when it doesn't. They all have specific strengths (South Africa in pace attack), (India and Pakistan in spin attack), (England in depth of their side, with their allrounders) and Australia (with their opening bowler and guys like Warner, Khawaja etc who can tear you apart on flat tracks).
It will be a game of musical chairs between the top 5 and teams that get favourable schedules will enjoy greater time at the top. India have the advantage of playing 1-2 years of home cricket, and then a year of away cricket and that will boost their rankings the most. So expect them to remain at 1 for some time, followed closely by South Africa based on the upcoming schedule.
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
Wow this guy said this 3 months ago.
Daemon
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The thread said "right now" in the title. Back then SA had their two best fast bowlers in Steyn and Philander injured, van Zyl opening the batting, Amla as captain, Vilas keeping and lost a series at home and got destroyed in India.
I maintain that at that point in time, they were absolutely not the best team in world cricket, which is why they weren't being discussed.
I mean, credit where it's due and all for bringing up de Kock, Bavuma and Rabada who all clicked in that final Test against England but the thread wasn't really a prediction of what was going to happen in the future.
I maintain that at that point in time, they were absolutely not the best team in world cricket, which is why they weren't being discussed.
I mean, credit where it's due and all for bringing up de Kock, Bavuma and Rabada who all clicked in that final Test against England but the thread wasn't really a prediction of what was going to happen in the future.
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
But the post was. Injuries are not permanent. It's like saying India is a **** team now if Ashwin gets injured and they lose the next test match. No need to get literal over 'NOW'. Now means currently which can include a certain period of time.
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vcs
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Last few months have been good for India and SA. ATM, the No. 1 ranking depends way too much on scheduling and short-term issues of form and fitness, but both teams have answered a few of the questions people had.
Winners
SA have shown they are not as reliant on Steyn, Amla and AB as people had thought. They are still peerless away from home, and in De Kock they have a player who could give their side amazing balance going forward, like Gilly did for the Aussies.
India keep winning matches with their familiar template of bat first, and unleash Ashwin/Jadeja with scoreboard pressure. Somehow their lack of batting depth hasn't yet been exposed since the lower order has shown a lot of resilience on home pitches. I would like to see a sequence of a few lost tosses to see whether they can win matches in different ways. So far though, they have handled everything thrown at them. Kohli looks determined to rectify his home record, which is a massive plus for them.
Drawers
England's loss to Bangladesh was a blemish on their resume, but they've competed well so far in India. Not much has changed as far as they're concerned.
NZ's losses in SA and India weren't a surprise, but considering how past NZ teams have performed in India, and how they performed in UAE, they were expected to push India much harder. The manner of those losses were disappointing, but well done for beating Pakistan convincingly in the first Test.
Pakistan had the strongest case after drawing in England, but even though they won against WI, there were a lot of alarming signs from that series, which have been further exposed in NZ. They need more from the likes of Azhar Ali, Shafiq, Sarfraz etc. to ease the burden on Younis and Misbah who are in the twilight of their careers and facing a tough tour of Australia, These guys have enough experience to become the leaders of the team and need to step up. Their pace bowlers are good enough to run through anyone on their day, and since the pitches in Aus/NZ won't help Yasir a great deal, they will have to take the major wicket-taking responsibility.
Losers
Australia are in turmoil as SA have deepened the wounds from the SL whitewash. Their weaknesses against lateral movement and spin, and propensity to collapse make them very brittle. Think they will bounce back against Pakistan.
Winners
SA have shown they are not as reliant on Steyn, Amla and AB as people had thought. They are still peerless away from home, and in De Kock they have a player who could give their side amazing balance going forward, like Gilly did for the Aussies.
India keep winning matches with their familiar template of bat first, and unleash Ashwin/Jadeja with scoreboard pressure. Somehow their lack of batting depth hasn't yet been exposed since the lower order has shown a lot of resilience on home pitches. I would like to see a sequence of a few lost tosses to see whether they can win matches in different ways. So far though, they have handled everything thrown at them. Kohli looks determined to rectify his home record, which is a massive plus for them.
Drawers
England's loss to Bangladesh was a blemish on their resume, but they've competed well so far in India. Not much has changed as far as they're concerned.
NZ's losses in SA and India weren't a surprise, but considering how past NZ teams have performed in India, and how they performed in UAE, they were expected to push India much harder. The manner of those losses were disappointing, but well done for beating Pakistan convincingly in the first Test.
Pakistan had the strongest case after drawing in England, but even though they won against WI, there were a lot of alarming signs from that series, which have been further exposed in NZ. They need more from the likes of Azhar Ali, Shafiq, Sarfraz etc. to ease the burden on Younis and Misbah who are in the twilight of their careers and facing a tough tour of Australia, These guys have enough experience to become the leaders of the team and need to step up. Their pace bowlers are good enough to run through anyone on their day, and since the pitches in Aus/NZ won't help Yasir a great deal, they will have to take the major wicket-taking responsibility.
Losers
Australia are in turmoil as SA have deepened the wounds from the SL whitewash. Their weaknesses against lateral movement and spin, and propensity to collapse make them very brittle. Think they will bounce back against Pakistan.
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