ICC Test rankings

WTC Final: Marnus Labuschagne lauds test Format, urges all nations to take it seriously | Cricket News

Danijones6 hours ago04 mins

Marnus Labuschagne of Australia (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images) Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne expressed his optimism about Test cricket’s future ahead of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s on Wednesday. The 30-year-old, who was part of Australia’s maiden WTC victory against India in 2023, emphasized the importance of countries producing quality players to maintain the format’s tradition.Labuschagne shared his thoughts on the World Test Championship format and its impact on the game’s competitiveness.“It is an exciting tournament. It means every Test you play has something on it, it brings all the countries into play, and anyone can make the final. You’re playing for a trophy at the end of a two-year cycle. I think it has worked great. Two years ago, when we beat India, it was awesome. I’m looking at it from a player’s perspective, and it looks like the game is in a great place,” he said. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy The Australian batter highlighted the role of major cricket nations in sustaining Test cricket’s popularity.“Every time Test cricket is on, people want to watch it. India, Australia and England are probably carrying a bit of the load of Test cricket, but we really want to see all the countries keep producing great players and being part of upholding such an amazing tradition of Test cricket,” he added.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Labuschagne’s Test career began notably at Lord’s in 2019, where he became cricket’s first concussion substitute. His career flourished afterward, achieving an impressive average of 63.43 after 14 Tests and reaching the top spot in ICC Test rankings for six months starting December 2021.The South African-born cricketer also discussed his long-standing relationship with his club.“I love playing with the guys here; they are close friends, and I love the environment at the club. The benefit of having a relationship with the club for six years is that you have the perks of being able to call the director of cricket and say: This is what it looks like, is there a chance we can line this up?” he said.He further emphasized the advantages of his commitment to the club.“Without that relationship, there might be some hesitancy, or you might not get someone in for two games. But that’s the benefit of the long-term commitment I have shown over the last six years,” he added.

India retains top spot in white-ball formats, Australia reclaims world no. 1 rankings in Tests

Danijones1 year ago04 mins

According to the ICC annual rankings, India retained their top position in ODIs and T20Is but slipped to second place in the men’s Test team rankings. India have retained their top position in ODIs and T20Is but slipped to the second position in the men’s Test Team Rankings in the latest ICC annual ranking update issued on May 3. India conceded the top spot in the five-day format to Australia, the reigning World Test champion, following the annual update that drops results from the 2020-21 season and reflects all series completed since May 2021. India (120) are just four points behind Australia (124) and 15 points clear of third-placed England. South Africa are the fourth team above the 100-point mark with 103 points. India slipped mainly because their 2-1 series win in Australia in 2020-21 has dropped from the rankings. The order of teams ranked from third to ninth remains the same. Only nine teams are now ranked as Afghanistan and Ireland have yet to play sufficient Tests, while Zimbabwe too are out as they have played only three Tests over the past three years. Teams need to play a minimum of eight Tests over a three-year period to get on the rankings table. India, however, remain atop the ODI and T20I rankings after the annual updates, that weight matches completed prior to May 2023 at 50 per cent and subsequent matches at 100 per cent. India may have lost the ODI World Cup final to Australia but have increased their lead over them from three to six points, leading the table with 122 points. There are no changes in the top 10 but Ireland have overtaken Zimbabwe to 11th position. Third-placed South Africa have closed the gap with Australia from eight to four points, while Sri Lanka are just two points behind fifth-placed England. The T20I rankings see Australia move ahead of England to second place but they are seven points adrift of India, who lead with 264 rating points. South Africa are just two points behind England after leapfrogging two places from the sixth position that they had before the update. New Zealand also have 250 points like South Africa but behind on fractions, while the West Indies are at 249 points, which means that just three points separate third-placed England from sixth-placed West Indies. In other movements, Pakistan have dropped two places to seventh, while Scotland have overtaken Zimbabwe to 12th position.