The 2nd best?

[Nonentity]

we all know that the australians are by far the best side in one day and test cricket these days but who do you think is the second best team in both versions of the game?
i'd have to go with england in test cricket but i'm not too sure about the ODI's..

 

[sledger]

tests i would say england, followed by india

ODIs could be anyone really, (well not anyone) but either india or new zealand maybe, or the west indies at full strength, in the one day form of the game on their day it would seem that most of the decent sides could beat australia if they played wlel and australia below par.

 

[Unattainableguy]

Pakistan at full strength with their bowlers Shabbir, Shoaib, and Gul back.

 

[Blaze]

Pakistan at full strength with their bowlers Shabbir, Shoaib, and Gul back.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[sledger]

Pakistan at full strength with their bowlers Shabbir, Shoaib, and Gul back.

always back the underdog maybe, back pakistan at full strength? woah dont push the boat out to far.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

England in tests followed by India, although it should be remembered that while South Africa haven't looked the part of third best recently, their results as yet haven't been all that bad. They've lost two series recently, but one was away to India and one home to the second placed side, so they probably don't deserve to be shoved too far down the table just yet, especially considering the other contender for number three just drew a series against a fairly modest Pakistan side at home.

A close fourth for me is therefore South Africa, followed by Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

For ODIs as has already been said it's harder to rank sides, since all it takes is one good performance and you can knock off another side. It's generally easier to rank sides in small groups than one by one. I'd say Sri Lanka with Murali are second, about equal with New Zealand. Then you have the likes of Pakistan and India, then the West Indies, South Africa and England, and then Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

 

[Swervy]

Pakistan at full strength with their bowlers Shabbir, Shoaib, and Gul back.

dont be silly

 

[sledger]

dont be silly

silly? its a tad more than that.

 

[Swervy]

silly? its a tad more than that.

i am in a good mood..didnt want to be too harsh

 

[wpdavid]

tests i would say england, followed by india

I'm not convinced that England can be placed categorically above India until we've beaten them, which hasn't happened for almost 9 years, even if we are better than the last time we played them. I'd put India & England joint second, followed by SA, SL & Pakistan in a group depending on form, fitness, and where the game was being played.

 

[Swervy]

I'm not convinced that England can be placed categorically above India until we've beaten them, which hasn't happened for almost 9 years, even if we are better than the last time we played them. I'd put India & England joint second, followed by SA, SL & Pakistan in a group depending on form, fitness, and where the game was being played.

but with that you can be going round in circles...

Team A beat Team B
Team B beat Team C
Team C beat Team A
Team D beats them all
Team E loses to them all but beats Team D....

This kind of thing happens all the time.

In general England have played to a higher standard more consistantly than India have done over the last 18 months or so....India just arent consistant enough to be considered number two at the moment, and have more question marks around them than England, who look to be the most rounded team other than Australia

 

[wpdavid]

but with that you can be going round in circles...

Team A beat Team B
Team B beat Team C
Team C beat Team A
Team D beats them all
Team E loses to them all but beats Team D....

This kind of thing happens all the time.

In general England have played to a higher standard more consistantly than India have done over the last 18 months or so....India just arent consistant enough to be considered number two at the moment, and have more question marks around them than England, who look to be the most rounded team other than Australia

Oh absolutely (I mean your first point), which is why an exact league table in test cricket is something of a lottery. Thinking about it, perhaps the fact that England have won a couple of series away from home does categorically place them above India, but I just don't think it's as definite as some would have us believe.

 

[Anil]

Oh absolutely (I mean your first point), which is why an exact league table in test cricket is something of a lottery. Thinking about it, perhaps the fact that England have won a couple of series away from home does categorically place them above India, but I just don't think it's as definite as some would have us believe.

i would say based on current form, england are a much better, deeper and more resilient team compared to india...

 

[Dar]

In tests i'd say India and England tied (probably England cos India need more of a killer instinct)

In ODI's i HATE to say it but Pakistan at full strength.

 

[imranrabb]

NZ and pakistan.Pakistan competed well with Australia with there depleted bowling attack without shoiab,sami and shabbir.

 

[Scaly piscine]

How anyone can put a team that loses as many series as it wins ahead or level with England in Test cricket is beyond me. England are clearly the 2nd best Test side.

 

[SpeedKing]

i am confidently gonna say that Pakistan at full strength are easily second best. but since they haven't been at full strength for a long time, it would hav to be NZ.

For tests England, someone said omething about India lacking that extra killer instinct that England have acquired over the last year

 

[Unattainableguy]

dont be silly

always back the underdog maybe, back pakistan at full strength? woah dont push the boat out to far.

You may argue England and India have a better batting than Pakistan, but I'd expect a evenly balanced contest between them. But Pakistan clearly have the superior bowling attack( considering their bowlers come back) than any other team. And when you put bowling and batting performace together of each team, Pakistan do come on top.

 

[Slats4ever]

Test Matches: England
One Dayers: New Zealand

 

[Will Scarlet]

Test Matches: England
One Dayers: New Zealand

Agreed. But England will still get thrashed by AUS in the Ashes.

NZ also needs to get back to somewhere near full strength.