Power Ranking the World T20 Teams After Opening Matches in Bangladesh
With the 2014 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 (T20) now well underway, it is time to check on just how each country has started the global showpiece event in Bangladesh.
And so as was the case when we first launched these rankings back at the turn of the year, the key criteria in deciding our final top 10 is this: If two nations were to meet both home and away today, just who would come out on top?
10. (Ranking at the Start of the World T20: Unranked): Netherlands
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Current ICC ranking: 12th (50 points)
Last series played: Lost 1-0 (1) to Kenya in Namibia in April 2013
Next assignment: World T20
The Dutch make it into the rankings proper for the first time, replacing Zimbabwe, following their qualification for the Super 10s last week courtesy of topping Group B in the first round of the competition after wins over United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ireland.
However, life against the big boys did not start well for the minnows when they were bowled out for just 39 against Sri Lanka on Monday, the lowest-ever score recorded in T20 international history, losing by nine wickets with still a mammoth 15 overs of the match remaining.
9. (9): Bangladesh
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Current ICC ranking: 10th (74 points)
Last series played: Lost 2-0 (2) at home to Sri Lanka in February 2014
Next assignment: World T20
The hosts made it into the Super 10s on the back of Group A wins over Afghanistan and Nepal in the first round of the competition, although they did also surprisingly go down to underdogs Hong Kong during the qualifying stage, too.
However, when the tournament proper got underway, Mushfiqur Rahim and Co. then lost heavily in their first Group 2 contest against holders West Indies.
8. (8): England
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Current ICC ranking: 8th (102 points)
Last series played: Lost 2-1 (3) in West Indies in March 2014
Next assignment: World T20
Not only has Stuart Broad’s side lost a mini-series to world champions West Indies in the Caribbean on the eve of the competition since the rankings were last updated, but the 2010 winners have also since gone down in controversial circumstances to New Zealand on the Duckworth-Lewis method in their Group 1 opener on Saturday to continue their woeful recent run in this form of the game.
7. (7): West Indies
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Current ICC ranking: 6th (111 points)
Last series played: Beat England 2-1 (3) at home in March 2014
Next assignment: World T20
The Calypso Kings overcame England in a three-match series in the Caribbean in the build-up to their defence of the trophy they won in Sri Lanka two years ago.
And the holders have so far been easily beaten by India in their opening Group 2 fixture before then thrashing hosts Bangladesh to remain alive in the competition.
6. (6): New Zealand
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Current ICC ranking: 7th (110 points)
Last series played: Beat West Indies 2-0 (2) at home in January 2014, lost 1-0 (2) at home to Sri Lanka in November 2013 and won 1-0 (1) in Bangladesh in November 2013
Next assignment: World T20
So far the Black Caps have been forced to chase down 170-plus in their first two Super 10 matches in Group 1 played in Chittagong, prevailing against England on Saturday thanks to the Duckworth-Lewis method before then losing by just two runs to the Proteas two days later.
5. (3): South Africa
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Current ICC ranking: 4th (116 points)
Last series played: Lost 0-2 (3) at home to Australia in March 2014
Next assignment: World T20
The Proteas endured a disappointing build-up to the competition when losing 2-0 at home to Australia earlier this month, and things did not start well either for Faf du Plessis’ men when they were then also beaten in their opening Super 10 contest against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
However, South Africa managed to keep alive their dream of winning the World T20 for the very first time by beating New Zealand by just two runs in a must-win encounter in Chittagong two days later.
4. (4): Australia
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Current ICC ranking: 5th (113 points)
Last series played: Won 2-0 (3) in South Africa in March 2014
Next assignment: World T20
The Aussies were many people’s favourites to win the World T20 for the very first time going into the tournament on the back of their impressive 2-0 win in South Africa just prior to the competition getting under way.
However, the subsequent loss through injury of the world’s best fast bowler in Mitchell Johnson has definitely seen Australia lose some of their aura, as shown when Pakistan beat George Bailey’s side in their Group 2 opener on Sunday.
3. (5): Pakistan
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Current ICC ranking: 3rd (121 points)
Last series played: 1-1 (2) at home to Sri Lanka in December 2013, beat Afghanistan 1-0 (1) at home in December 2013, 1-1 (2) in South Africa in November 2013 and lost 0-2 (2) at home to South Africa in November 2013
Next assignment: World T20
Typically Pakistan have given us a mix of both the bad—in losing to arch-rivals India to get the Super 10 phase of the tournament under-way in Dhaka on Friday—and the good when seeing off Australia in their second Group 2 encounter two days later to live up to their pre-competition billing as an unpredictable dark horse.
2. (2): Sri Lanka
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Current ICC ranking: 1st (131 points)
Last series played: Won 2-0 (2) in Bangladesh in February 2014, 1-1 (2) in Pakistan in December 2013 and won 1-0 (2) in New Zealand in November 2013
Next assignment: World T20
It has been an impressive start to the tournament by Dinesh Chandimal’s men in their bid to make it a case of third time lucky by finally getting their hands on the World T20 title after twice being losing finalists in 2009 and 2012.
The team currently ranked No. 1 in the world by the ICC in this shorter form of the game have so far easily disposed of both South Africa and Netherlands in the Super 10s to have all but one foot in the semi-finals now.
1. (1): India
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Current ICC ranking: 2nd (128 points)
Last series played: Beat Australia 1-0 (1) at home in October 2013
Next assignment: World T20
MS Dhoni and Co. may not have played many matches in this short form of the game during the course of the past 12 months; however, when they are in action, the winners of the inaugural World T20 are desperately hard to get the better of, as this competition has once again proved so far.
Two Group 2 fixtures played to date for India have produced two victories, against rivals Pakistan in the Super 10 opener on Friday before holders West Indies were then seen off the following day, making the 50-over world champions very much the team to beat in Bangladesh.
Honourable Mentions
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The other participating nations in the World T20 were Afghanistan (current world ranking of 11/66 points), Nepal, Hong Kong, Ireland (9/92), Zimbabwe (13/50) and UAE.
However, those six countries exited the tournament in the first-round qualifying stage last week, although the likes of Nepal, Zimbabwe and Ireland can all count themselves unfortunate to still not be in Bangladesh after each winning two of their three group matches to depart on net run-rate.
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