SL v Eng - Day 4

just, i dont think people have the patiance to wait for 4 years to see who the no.1 team is. Just imagine, players like kallis do all the hard work, and after 4 years when the ranking are removed, he has already retired. I think this ranking is fair. i dont know why people cry about it. england won 4-0 against a no.1 team and become no.1 now they lost 4-0 against and 5 and 6 team. ofcourse they will lose their top ranking

Viru, my problem is the number 1 position is becoming more about the fixture list than who is actually number 1. Firstly, India had played many series at home and then when they had all their tough series (SA away, Eng away, Aus away) in the space of 12 months they lost their ranking and their top ranking was questioned.

Now England get to number 1, but are played their tough series (Pak away, SL away and India away) in the space of a year, so by the time they lose their no1 ranking, people will question that as well. In all this time, SA aren't playing as many tests, so maybe that's the reason they are not no1.

the thing is we dont have any dominant no.1. we have most teams if not all that performs well in familiar conditions. i think sa are the only exception to that. but again sa lack the killer instinct hence they cant be dominant like what australia and windies were. if sa pass the england hurdle, then they will remain their for a long time, unless they start choking due to pressure(which is a different thing altogether).once we find that one team that is performing like australia did whether tests, odis, champions trophy or kind of cricket) then everyone will respect the rankings and the team.

just i agree with u there. there shud be a certain balance for away and home matches between all teams. I mean sa barely play that much cricket(for whatever reosons), right now india will only play home for the next 1.5 years, and by the time who knows they might even be back competing to be the next no.1s, but will it justify their status? no it wont cause we all know they lost 8-0. that is something icc shud work on and give that balance.

Synchronizing the schedules of the various nations is impossible. England's summer is totally out of kilter with everyone else and some of the others have their summers overlapping each other.
The best thing is too see the number one ranking as unimportant. Winning tests and test series is all that matters to let us know the better team at any one time.

In regards to the 4 year cycle.....it doesn't mean you have to wait every 4 years.......it would work like your points do on your drivers license....it just means you play every nation with-in the 4 year period.......No.2 can still over take No.1 if they win a couple of series and No.1 loses the odd match.
When Australia had such a good team they had accumilated a hell of a lot of winning points and even after we lost continuous test series on the trot it seem to take forever for India to rope in the points and become No.1, it's just that more teams are of equal ability at present.
I think having the ranking system is a good thing......like at present, instead of Pakistan celebrating beating England, it is a bigger honour when you say Pakistan has beaten the No.1 ranked team in the world......Imagine the delight in Sri-Lanka with the one time easy beats knocking over the worlds No.1....it gives teams something to strive for and it's not the 1-0 win over N-Z that will make Sth.A No.1 it's the matches played over the last few years that counts.

Rabbits I agree with you for the first time.

J-T......a first time for everything, just stay on board until the next ashes and see if you can say the same.....

Yes Rabbits after the series, I'm sure we'll both agree that England look good with that urn

That's the trouble.....just because our fore-fathers were sent here as convicts (didn't do it) we have never been trusted to bring it home even when we do bloody win.....