Cricket World Cup 2015: Power Ranking Teams After Opening Third of Group Stage
It may be hard to believe the group stage of the 2015 Cricket World Cup is one-third complete after a breathless opening to the tournament.
Some teams have faltered already, while others have done well, as they make their initial steps in what they hope will be successful campaigns.
Let’s take a look at a power ranking of all 14 teams involved.
14. Scotland
1 of 14
W 0; L 2; NR 0
Bottom of the pile come Scotland, who have lost both their opening games and have the worst net run rate of all teams.
They may take heart from a decent display against New Zealand, but their recent pasting by England shows they are a long way behind.
13. Pakistan
2 of 14
W 0; L 2; NR 0
Just above the Scots come Pakistan, who have also lost both their opening games and have done so by heavy margins.
They could so easily have been bottom of this ranking after a shocking start, but having a marginally better net run rate than Scotland has saved them that ignominy.
12. Afghanistan
3 of 14
W 0; L 2; NR 0
World Cup debutants Afghanistan have lost both their games but have shown flashes of what they are capable of already.
Against both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, their bowlers looked especially effective, so they may well end up springing a surprise or two later on.
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11. United Arab Emirates
4 of 14
W 0; L 1; NR 0
After one match, the United Arab Emirates are close to the bottom, although it was a good performance against Zimbabwe.
UAE managed 285 for seven from their 50 overs and then were only four wickets short of the win, but they will find stiffer challenges ahead than the Zimbabweans.
10. England
5 of 14
W 1; L 2; NR 0
It was a shocking start to the World Cup for England, who lost heavily to Australia and New Zealand.
Their comfortable win over Scotland has surely given them hope, but they have to put together some strong results against better teams to have a shot at qualifying.
9. Sri Lanka
6 of 14
W 1; L 1; NR 0
After two games, Sri Lanka sit exactly in the middle of Pool A having won one game and lost one so far.
They were by far second-best against New Zealand and struggled against Afghanistan, so they need to find some momentum soon.
8. South Africa
7 of 14
W 1; L 1; NR 0
South Africa also have a record of one win and one loss so far, beating Zimbabwe but being thumped by India in their latest game.
The Proteas have a very talented squad, but need to fulfil that promise if they are to succeed.
7. Zimbabwe
8 of 14
W 1; L 1; NR 0
Above South Africa come Zimbabwe, who have done pretty well so far to take one win and one loss.
Their victory was a tight one over UAE, but they will be encouraged they were able to get points on the board after a tough loss to the Proteas.
6. Bangladesh
9 of 14
W 1; L 0; NR 1
Still unbeaten, Bangladesh opened their tournament with an encouraging win over Afghanistan before rain put paid to their game with Australia in Brisbane.
They have a tough schedule coming up, but they will be satisfied with their start so far.
5. Ireland
10 of 14
W 1; L 0; NR 0
Ireland once again sprung a surprise as they defeated the West Indies in their opening group game.
It will certainly give them hope, especially as they have a number of winnable games coming up in Pool B.
4. Australia
11 of 14
W 1; L 0; NR 1
Australia’s comfortable win over England puts them high in the power rankings, with their abandonment against Bangladesh meaning they stay unbeaten.
It has been a good start for the co-hosts, but they will face stiffer tests in the coming weeks.
3. West Indies
12 of 14
W 1; L 1; NR 0
The West Indians lost early on to Ireland but appear to have recovered some momentum with a big win over Pakistan.
With the turmoil that accompanies the West Indies seemingly everywhere they go, that win will do them a great deal of good as they move forward.
2. India
13 of 14
W 2; L 0; NR 0
Unbeaten with a perfect two wins from two games, India are looking once again like World Cup contenders.
With victories over Pakistan and South Africa, they have set themselves up well already for another charge at the trophy.
1. New Zealand
14 of 14
W 3; L 0; NR 0
The only team to have played three matches so far, New Zealand have a 100 percent winning record after victories over Sri Lanka, Scotland and England.
Against the Scots, the Black Caps were less than convincing, but against the former and latter teams, they were dominant, especially against a beleaguered England.
The co-hosts seem to be gaining some momentum at the right time, and they will hope that they are still yet to reach their peak.
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