Power Ranking the Top 10 T20 Nations
Following the recent publication of both the Bleacher Report’s Test match and one-day international (ODI) power rankings, it is now time for a similar version detailing the Twenty20 (T20) game.
So just to recap, this alternative rankings system to the current International Cricket Council (ICC) table is based on how a side is performing right now, not 12 months ago, for instance, with the main criterion being: If two nations were to meet both home and away today, just who would come out on top?
As a result, here are what the new standings look like...
10. Zimbabwe
1 of 10
Current ICC ranking: 14th (46 points)
Last series played: Lost 0-2 (2) at home to Pakistan in August 2013 and drew 1-1 (2) at home to Bangladesh in May 2013
Next assignment: Ireland in World T20 in March 2014
Held at home by fellow T20 minnows Bangladesh earlier this year before being outclassed by Pakistan in Southern Africa three months later to now sit bottom of these revised standings.
9. Bangladesh
2 of 10
Current ICC ranking: 10th (72 points)
Last series played: Lost 0-1 (1) at home to New Zealand in November 2013 and drew 1-1 (2) in Zimbabwe in May 2013
Next assignment: Sri Lanka (h) in February 2014
Will need to buck up their ideas quick going into the ICC World T20 in March, a tournament which they are hosting, after losing a one-off international with the Black Caps in November and failing to beat whipping boys Zimbabwe on the road back in May.
8. West Indies
3 of 10
Current ICC ranking: Fifth (113 points)
Last series played: Lost 0-2 (2) in New Zealand in January 2014 and lost 2-0 (2) at home to Pakistan in July 2013
Next assignment: Ireland (h) in February 2014
It has been a poor year for the current world champions, with series losses to both the Kiwis and Pakistan, and not even a consolation win either to show for their troubles.
7. England
4 of 10
Current ICC ranking: sixth (112 points)
Last series played: Drew 1-1 (2) at home to Australia in August 2013 and lost 1-0 (2) at home to New Zealand in June 2013
Next assignment: Australia (a) in January and February 2014
Not much to cheer about for Stuart Broad’s side in this shorter form of the game, with no series wins in the whole of 2013, hence their lowly ranking here of seventh.
6. Australia
5 of 10
Current ICC ranking: eighth (102 points)
Last series played: Lost 0-1 (1) in India in October 2013 and drew 1-1 (2) in England in August 2013
Next assignment: England (h) in January and February 2014
The Aussies have again struggled to reproduce the devastating form that they have displayed of late in both Test and ODI cricket in the T20 arena, with not a series win to their name last year. A creditable draw in England last summer does see them up to sixth in these new-look rankings.
5. New Zealand
6 of 10
Current ICC ranking: seventh (108 points)
Last series played: Won 2-0 (2) at home to West Indies in January 2014, lost 1-0 (2) in Sri Lanka in November 2013 and won 1-0 (1) in Bangladesh in November 2013
Next assignment: England in World T20 in March 2014
It has been a good past 12 months for the Black Caps, reflected in their fifth place in these revised rankings, as opposed to the Kiwis’ position of seventh in the current ICC standings.
4. Sri Lanka
7 of 10
Current ICC ranking: first (129 points)
Last series played: Drew 1-1 (2) in Pakistan (in the UAE) in December 2013 and won 1-0 (2) at home to New Zealand in November 2013
Next assignment: Bangladesh (a) in February 2014
The top-rated T20 nation according to the ICC should have been able to overcome fourth-placed Pakistan in their most recent series, which is why Dinesh Chandimal and Co. have fallen from top spot in our alternative rankings table.
3. Pakistan
8 of 10
Current ICC ranking: fourth (121 points)
Last series played: Drew 1-1 (2) at home (in the UAE) to Sri Lanka in December 2013, beat Afghanistan 1-0 (1) at home in December 2014, drew 1-1 (2) in South Africa in November 2013 and lost 2-0 (2) at home to South Africa
Next assignment: India in the World T20 in March 2014
It has been a busy past few months in the T20 arena for Pakistan, with only South Africa managing to get the better of Mohammad Hafeez’s men in the six series they contested in 2014.
2. South Africa
9 of 10
Current ICC ranking: third (123 points)
Last series’ played: Drew 1-1 (2) at home to Pakistan in November 2013 and won 2-0 (2) in Pakistan (in the UAE) in November 2013.
Next assignment: Australia (h) in March 2014
The Proteas have been hard to beat in all three formats of the game during the last 12 months, including the T20 arena. Here, their impressive form sees them move up a place to second in the world in our revised standings after just one loss to Pakistan in four fixtures, both home and away, late last year.
1. India
10 of 10
Current ICC ranking: second (123 points)
Last series played: Won 1-0 (1) at home to Australia in October 2013
Next assignment: Pakistan in the World T20 in March 2014
The 50-over world champions are also now the No. 1 ranked side in T20, too, on the back of a 100 percent winning record last year, albeit with just the one international played against Australia—but all you can do is win your matches.
However, with a raft of T20 fixtures coming up on the horizon this year, including the World T20 in Bangladesh in March, their hold on the top spot could soon be loosened.
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