ICC Men's Test Team Rankings

The ICC Men's Test Team Rankings (formerly known as the ICC Test Championship) is an international rankings system of the International Cricket Council for the 12 teams that play Test cricket. The rankings are based on international matches that are otherwise played as part of regular Test cricket scheduling, with no consideration of home or away status.

ICC Men's Test Team Rankings
AdministratorInternational Cricket Council
Creation2002
Number of teams12
Current top ranking India (121 rating)
Longest cumulative top ranking Australia (107 months)
Longest continuous
top ranking
 Australia (74 months)
Highest rating Australia (143 rating)
Last updated on: 2 May 2023.

After every Test series, the two teams involved receive points based on a mathematical formula involving both teams' previous rating and the result of the series. Each team's points total from matches over the last 3–4 years is divided by a figure based on their total number of matches and series played, to give a "rating".

A drawn match between higher and lower rated teams will benefit the lower-rated team at the expense of the higher-rated team. An "average" team that wins as often as it loses, while playing a mix of stronger and weaker teams, will have a rating of 100.

The top ranked Test team was previously awarded the ICC Test Championship mace, until the inauguration of ICC World Test Championship. From 2002 to 2019, the mace was transferred whenever a new team moved to the top of the rating list.[1] The team that was top of the ratings table on 1 April each year also won a cash prize.[2]

India is currently the highest-ranked team in the rankings, as of an update published in May 2023.[3]

Current rankings

ICC Men's Test Team Rankings
RankTeamMatchesPointsRating
1  India293,434118
2  Australia303,534118
3  England434,941115
4  South Africa212,182104
5  New Zealand232,291100
6  Pakistan252,30492
7  Sri Lanka272,12379
8  West Indies282,15477
9  Bangladesh1987346
10  Zimbabwe722332
Reference: ICC Test Rankings, 31 July 2023
"Matches" is no. matches + no. series played in the 12–24 months since the May before last, plus half the number in the 24 months before that.

Historical rankings

The ICC provides ratings for the end of each month back to June 2003. The teams that have successively held the highest rating since that date, by whole month periods are:

Team Start End Total months Cumulative months Highest rating
 AustraliaJune 2003August 20097474143
 South AfricaAugust 2009November 200933122
 IndiaNovember 2009August 20112121125
 EnglandAugust 2011August 20121212125
 South AfricaAugust 2012May 20142124135
 AustraliaMay 2014July 2014377123
 South AfricaJuly 2014January 20161842130
 IndiaJanuary 2016February 2016122110
 AustraliaFebruary 2016August 2016683118
 IndiaAugust 2016August 2016123112
 PakistanAugust 2016October 201622111
 IndiaOctober 2016May 20204366130
 AustraliaMay 2020January 2021891116
 New ZealandJanuary 2021March 202122118
 IndiaMarch 2021June 2021369122
 New ZealandJune 2021December 202168126
 IndiaDecember 2021January 2022170124
 AustraliaJanuary 2022May 202316107128

 India

May 2023 Incumbent
Reference: ICC Rankings

The summary of teams that have held the highest rating from June 2003 to the present by whole month periods are:

Team Total Months Highest Rating
 Australia107143
 India72130
 South Africa42135
 England12125
 New Zealand8126
 Pakistan2111
Reference: ICC Historical Rankings

Since the ICC officially began ranking teams in 2003, Australia had dominated the rankings table. However, from 2009, several teams (Australia, South Africa, India, England, New Zealand, and Pakistan) have competed for the top positions.

The ICC retrospectively applied the current rating system to results since 1952 (providing ratings for the end of each month from then). The table only begins then, as prior to 1952 there is insufficient data available due to the infrequency of matches and the small number of competing teams in these earlier periods.[4]

The teams that have successively held the highest rating from January 1952 until May 2003, by whole month periods are:

Team Start End Total months Cumulative months
 AustraliaJanuary 1952May 19554141
 EnglandJune 1955February 19583333
 AustraliaMarch 1958July 1958546
 EnglandAugust 1958December 1958538
 AustraliaJanuary 1959December 196360106
 West IndiesJanuary 1964December 19686060
 South AfricaJanuary 1969December 19691212
 EnglandJanuary 1970January 19733775
 AustraliaFebruary 1973March 19732108
 IndiaApril 1973June 19741515
 AustraliaJuly 1974January 197843151
 West IndiesFebruary 1978January 19791272
 EnglandFebruary 1979August 19801994
 IndiaSeptember 1980February 1981621
 West IndiesMarch 1981July 198889161
 PakistanAugust 1988September 198822
 West IndiesOctober 1988January 199128189
 AustraliaFebruary 1991April 19913154
 West IndiesMay 1991July 199215204
 AustraliaAugust 1992January 19936160
 West IndiesFebruary 1993August 199531235
 IndiaSeptember 1995November 1995324
 AustraliaDecember 1995July 199944204
 South AfricaAugust 1999December 1999517
 AustraliaJanuary 2000February 20002206
 South AfricaMarch 2000March 2000118
 AustraliaApril 2000July 200116222
 South AfricaAugust 2001August 2001119
 AustraliaSeptember 2001May 200321243
Reference: ICC Historical Rankings

The summary of teams that have held the highest rating from 1952 to the present by whole month periods are:

Team Total months Highest rating
 Australia350143
 West Indies235135
 England106125
 India94130
 South Africa61135
 New Zealand8126
 Pakistan4111
Reference: ICC Historical Rankings

ICC Test championship (2002–2019)

The rankings system was called ICC Test Championship, until the inauguration of ICC World Test Championship in 2019. From 2002 to 2019, the top-ranked Test team was awarded with the ICC Test Championship mace and the top team at each April 1 cut-off (until 2019) was also awarded a cash prize, the winners of which are listed below.[5][6] The mace is now awarded to the winners of the ICC World Test Championship.[7]

Team Awarded
 AustraliaApril 2002–09
 IndiaApril 2010–11
 EnglandApril 2012
 South AfricaApril 2013–15
 AustraliaApril 2016
 IndiaApril 2017–19
Reference: ICC[8][9]

Calculations

Qualifying matches

Matches that qualify are those played as part of a series consisting of at least two Tests.

Time period

Each team scores points based on the results of their matches over the last 34 years the matches played in the 12–24 months since the May before last, plus the matches played in the 24 months before that, for which the matches played and points earned both count half. For example:

May 2010 May 2011 May 2012 May 2013 May 2014 May 2015
Between May 2013 and April 2014: Results that were achieved during this period have 50% weighting Results that were achieved during this period have 100% weighting
Between May 2014 and April 2015: Results that were achieved during this period have 50% weighting Results that were achieved during this period have 100% weighting

Each May, the matches and points earned between 3 and 4 years ago are removed, and the matches and points earned between 1 and 2 years ago switch from 100% weighting to 50% weighting. For example, on 1 May 2014, the matches played between May 2010 and April 2011 were removed, and the matches played between May 2012 and April 2013 switched to 50% weighting (the matches from May 2011 to April 2012 would have already been at 50% following the previous rerating). This happens overnight, so can result in teams changing positions in the ranking table despite no one playing.

Find the points earned from a series

Each time two teams complete another series, the rankings tables is updated as described below, based on the ratings of the teams immediately before they played.[10][11]

Step 1. Find the series points for each team

  • Award 1 point to a team for each match won.
  • Award 1/2 point to a team for each match drawn or tied.
  • Award 1 bonus point to the team winning the series.
  • Award 1/2 bonus point to each team if the series is drawn.

Step 2. Convert these series points to actual ratings points

If the gap between the ratings of the two teams before the series was less than 40 points

The ratings points for each team equals:

(The team's own series points) x (The opponent's rating + 50) (The opponent's series points) x (The opponent's rating − 50)

As each match won earns a team 1 series point and their opponent 0, losing earns them 0 series points and their opponent 1, and drawing earns both teams 1/2 series point, each match played therefore earns teams ratings points as follows:

Single match result Ratings points earned
WinOpponent's rating + 100
Draw or tieOpponent's rating
LoseOpponent's rating − 100

As this formula only applies when the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the start of the series was less than 40 points, winning a match will always earn a team more rating points than the rating they already had, and losing a match will always earn a team fewer rating points than the rating they already had. Drawing a match will earn the weaker team more rating points than the rating they already had, and the stronger team fewer.

The difference between winning and losing a single match is therefore 100 points. Also, whether the outcome of a match is a win & lose or a draw, the total rating points earned by the two teams from that match will be the sum of the two teams' ratings before the series began. The total rating points earned from a series will therefore equal the sum of the two teams' ratings before the series began multiplied by (the number of matches + 1).

If the gap between the ratings of the two teams before the series was at least 40 points

The ratings points for the stronger team equals:

(The team's own series points) x (The team's own rating + 10) (The opponent's series points) x (The team's own rating − 90)

and the ratings points for the weaker team equals:

(The team's own series points) x (The team's own rating + 90) (The opponent's series points) x (The team's own rating − 10).

As above, each match played therefore earns teams ratings points as follows:

Single match result Ratings points earned
Stronger team winsOwn rating + 10
Weaker team losesOwn rating − 10
Stronger team draws or tiesOwn rating − 40
Weaker team draws or tiesOwn rating + 40
Stronger team losesOwn rating − 90
Weaker team winsOwn rating + 90

Therefore, again, winning a match will always earn a team more rating points than the rating they already had, and losing a match will always earn a team fewer rating points than the rating they already had. Drawing a match will earn the weaker team more points than the rating they already had, and the stronger team fewer.

For both teams, the difference between winning and losing a single match is still 100 points. Also, whichever of the three outcomes happens, the total rating points earned by the two teams from that match will be the sum of the two teams' ratings before the series began.

Update the ranking table

For each team:

  • Add the ratings points scored to their total ratings points already scored (in previous matches).
  • Update the number of matches played by adding the number of Series points available. This is one more than the number of games in the series, as there is an additional point available for the series winner (a two Test match series will result in the match count getting incremented by three).
  • Divide the new rating points total by the updated number of matches to get the updated Rating.

Example

Suppose two teams, initially with ratings of 120 and 90, play a 3-match series, and the team with the higher initial rating wins 2–1:

Team Ratings before the series The series Ratings after the series
MatchesPointsRatingMatches wonMatches drawnSeries pointsRatings pointsMatchesPointsRating
A3036001202033x(90+50) + 1x(90–50) = 46030+3+1=343600+460=4060119.4
B363240901011x(120+50) + 3x(120–50) = 38036+3+1=403240+380=362090.5
  • The total Ratings points available from the series (460+380=840) is the same as the initial ratings of the teams multiplied by the number of Series points available ((120+90)x4=840).
  • The two teams' total ratings is almost exactly the same after the series (119.4+90.5=209.9) as before the series (120+90=210). The series has therefore not generated any extra ratings, but has just redistributed the ratings the two teams already had. When these ratings are published in the official table in their rounded form (119 and 91), the total ratings after the series will be exactly the same as before the series. There is therefore no points 'inflation' in this system, which means that comparisons of ratings over time are meaningful.[12]
  • Despite winning the series, Team A's rating has reduced, and despite losing the series, Team B's rating has increased. If Team A had won the series 3–0 then its rating would have increased to 122.4.

See also

References

  1. cricketnext – England presented with Test mace. Retrieved 22 August 2011
  2. "Outcomes from the ICC Board and Committee meetings". ICC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  3. "ICC Test Match Team Rankings International Cricket Council". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  4. "Historical rankings". Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. "Waugh receives ICC Test trophy". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  6. "David Richardson presents ICC Test Championship mace to Misbah-ul-Haq". ICC. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  7. "Details of WTC prize money announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  8. "A retrospective: How the mace has changed hands". International Cricket Council. 24 February 2018.
  9. "India retain ICC Test Championship mace". www.icc-cricket.com. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  10. "Understanding the ICC rankings system". ESPNcricinfo. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  11. "World Championship for Test Cricket". Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  12. "FAQs on ICC Test Team Rankings". Qn2, ICC. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
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