New Zealand have just ascended to the pinnacle of Test rankings. They have attained that position for the very first time in their history. For a small nation with meagre resources when it comes to cricket, this indeed is a huge achievement. This is a position that has eluded the likes of Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh. New Zealand is the top ranked team but do they really deserve that position? Have they won in every country where they have played Test cricket to be considered an undisputed numero uno? Have they done enough to attain this position? Let us ponder the answers.
A bit of history about New Zealand
New Zealand started their cricketing history way back in 1930. This was in an era when not many teams were playing the game. They made their debut against England. They had to wait for 26 years to taste their first success in Test cricket when they defeated West Indies at Auckland. Till date they have played 446 Tests with a win loss record of 0.60. This is much less than what other major nations like England, Australia & India have played over the same period.
New Zealand have always managed to punch above their weight
New Zealand aren’t always a glamorous team for the media. The following for the game in New Zealand is not at the level of say Bangladesh. As such, the major nations have always treated NZ with much less respect. However New Zealand seems to have taken everything in their stride. New Zealand is a team that is like a 45KG boxer against much heavier 75KG opponent. Yet, they have more often than not have exceeded expectations. If I have to draw a parallel with the corporate world, that is a rating of 5.
They probably had the best time of their history in the 1980s when they won series in England & Australia. After that period, they are having a good time, especially in Tests at this moment. They recently won a series against Pakistan in UAE against expectation. More recently, they have managed to reach the finals or the semi-finals of major ICC events like ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy. Infact, they emerged victorious back in 2000 in the Champions Trophy when most did not expect them to.
Their much recent record in their own country is much more impressive over the last 10 years. They have won against most of their opponents. Infact, most of the time, they have swept the series. This is certainly an impressive record for a nation that neither have the money to fund the game nor have the resources to play for the nation. In a country like Australia, there are always a few who can replace one player but not in New Zealand. However, does this really make the rest of us not to question their ascendancy to number one in the world?
Criteria for becoming the top ranked team
As I have argued before, except for South Africa, England & Australia, none of the other teams deserve to be number one. The one simple criteria to be considered as an undisputed number one is for that team to have won atleast one series in every country where they have played in their cricketing history. This simple logic is the reason why India cannot be top team who are yet to win a series in South Africa. If I have to extend the same logic to New Zealand, they are yet to win a series in South Africa and India. Infact, they have not won a series against South Africa anywhere. It includes in their home country which is even more outrageous for them to be considered as the top ranked team.
India is certainly better on that front because India have won against every opposition in India but even that does not mean that they can be considered as top ranked whenever they are. New Zealand had a wonderful opportunity to win India back in the 1950s and 1960s when India wasn’t a force they now are. However, New Zealand could not achieve that.
New Zealand’s more recent series in the opposition’s country
Their recent record against major nations is even more glaring. They have lost all the tests to South Africa, India and Australia. To their credit, they did win against Pakistan and drew against Sri Lanka. However, it is clear that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka are not half as good as the other three teams.
Conclusion
It is not the mistake of New Zealand or India that they were ranked number one but it is the fault of ICC. They will have to devise a system that is logical by all standards. I know it is easier said than done but ICC with the assistance from all the cricketing nations must be able to come up with such a system. Until such a system is inplace, there will always be a doubt amongst the majority of the nations about the incumbent top ranked team.
What do you think of the arguments in this article? Do you think New Zealand do deserve their status as the top ranked team or do you think that they need to do more to be deserving of that status? Do let me know in the comments section below.
Topics about the flawed ICC ranking system can be read here, here & here.