What is the ICC Ranking System, though, first? One way to precisely determine which team or individual in the world is the best is to use the ICC Ranking System. These rankings apply to all three of the game’s formats, which are T20, ODI, and Test Matches. For both men’s and women’s cricket, separate rankings are released.
For teams and individual players, the rankings operate in different ways. The formula used to determine team rankings in Test Matches differs slightly from that used in One Day International (ODI). Or Twenty20 matches.
We have written another post explaining the specifics of how the ICC Team Ranking System operates, but don’t worry. We’ll explain everything to you in an easy-to-understand manner! In this post, we will only be discussing the ICC Player Raking System.
First off, ratings and rankings are not the same thing.
You’ll hear these two terms used quite frequently in this post. Some people frequently interchange the two terms. Nonetheless, the terms “rating” and “ranking” have different meanings in relation to the ICC Cricket Rankings.
A batsman, bowler, all-rounder, or team can receive Rating or Rating Points based on how well they performed during a match. These are determined through a series of intricate calculations.
On the other hand, ranking is achieved by placing the teams or players in descending order according to their ratings. It refers to the player’s or team’s place in the rankings table.
For instance, India would be ranked first if it were to have the highest rating point total of all 12 test-playing nations, 120, in a given test match.
The Player Ranking System of the ICC
The player ranking system was first developed in 1987. As a way to rank and contrast the top players in the world. Mostly, their batting or bowling averages were used to determine this.
But this system had a serious drawback. A player’s average does not account for their recent performance, the circumstances surrounding a match. Or even the caliber of the opponent that the player excelled against.
As a result, ICC released a new rating-based ranking system, which we will discuss in more detail below. The three game formats all employ the ICC ranking system. There are also three distinct ranking categories: one for bowlers, one for batsmen, and one for all-rounders.
What is the mechanism behind the ICC Player Ranking System?
The rating points that a player has accrued as a result of his or her performance are a major factor in the ICC Player Ranking system. A player’s rating points are determined by a number of factors.
However, even for a single player, determining a player’s rating can become rather complicated due to the numerous variables at play and the numerous permutations and combinations that are possible. When hundreds of players are competing on an international scale for their respective teams, the task becomes very challenging. (You’ll quickly understand what I mean.)
Fundamental Summary
Every one of the three formats follows the same set of steps. These serve as the cornerstone of the ICC Player Ranking methodology.
- Based on their performance, each player is assigned a rating between 0 and 1000. This is typical of both bowlers and batsmen. An all-arounder uses a slightly different system.
- A player’s rating points rise if their performance surpasses that of the previous match. And the opposite is also true if their performance falls short of expectations.
- Every player’s performance is evaluated after every match is concluded.
- The analysis of the performance is done using an algorithm; no human intervention is involved in any part of the process (and it is nearly impossible for a human to keep track of everything).
- As a result, players receive new ratings at the conclusion of every match. However, series changes for ODI and T20, as well as match changes for Test Matches, occur after every series.
- New players, who are just beginning their international career. Have a rating of zero and must continuously maintain good performance in order to gain rating points.
- A player will forfeit some points for each match they fail to show up for.
- A player is taken off the list if they decide to retire from playing cricket internationally.
Player Positioning in Test Games
As previously stated. The player rankings are determined by averaging the ratings that each player receives according to how well they performed in a match. A number of things are taken into account when evaluating a player’s performance. In addition, there are three categories in the player rankings: bowlers, batsmen, and all-rounders.
First, let’s examine the criteria used to grade a batsman’s performance.
Factors taken into account for a Batsman:
A number of factors are taken into account when evaluating a batsman’s performance and allocating rating points. These are listed in the section below:
Runs that a Batsman Scores
This one is fairly simple to understand. A batsman’s rating points are directly impacted by the number of runs he scores in a given game.
Evaluation of the Rival Bowlers
Not only is it crucial to consider how many runs a batsman scores. But also the strength of the bowling attack used by the opposition, in order to determine rating points.
To evaluate this, it is simple to add up the ratings of every bowler on the other team. The batsman’s performance is given more weight the higher the bowler’s combined ratings are.
Scoring Level for Runs
“Level of Runs Scoring” has a somewhat ambiguous sound. But in actuality, it’s fairly easy.
A batsman receives more rating points and is regarded as having achieved a higher level of success if he or she scores a century in a low scoring game as opposed to a high scoring game.
Situation A, for example, featured a batsman who scored 100, but his team only managed to score 220.
Situation B: Despite a batsman’s 100 runs, his team only scored 600 runs.
A batsman’s century in scenario A will be valued higher than in scenario B.
Not Out of the Innings
Bonus points are awarded to a batsman for a performance if he or she manages to finish an innings without being out.
Conclusion of the game
A player’s rating points are also influenced by the conclusion of the game.
Players receive bonus points for strong performances if their team wins the game.
Additionally, if a strong performance leads to a win against a stronger opponent (highly ranked team) as opposed to a victory against a weaker opponent (lowly ranked team), the bonus points are awarded.
Considerations for a Bowler
The rating points that a bowler receives are determined by a number of factors, similar to the factors that are taken into account when assigning rating points to batsmen. These are listed in the following order:
1 Runs Given Up and Wickets Obtained
Taking wickets is the primary duty of a bowler in any team. Therefore, a bowler’s number of wickets taken and amount of runs conceded in the process are important factors that affect their player ratings.
2 The Batsman’s rating was discarded
In bowling, the quality of the batsman dismissed is just as important as the number of wickets claimed. These are easily evaluated by looking at the batsman’s rating points that were dismissed. The bowler receives more rating points the higher the value.
For instance, if a bowler takes five wickets and four of those wickets come from a top order batsman (high rating points), that bowler will be worth more than a bowler who takes five wickets and four of those wickets come from a lower order batsman. Similarly, if two bowlers take one wicket each against India, the bowler who removes Virat Kohli will be worth more rating points than the bowler who removes Ajinkya Rahane. This is because Virat Kohli has a higher rating than Ajinkya Rahane.
Scoring Level for Runs
This functions similarly to a batsman’s “level of runs scored.”
A bowler will receive more rating points if they take three wickets for forty-five runs in a match where the opposition scores four hundred runs (high scoring match) than if they take three wickets for forty-five runs in a match where the opposition scores one hundred fifty runs (low scoring match).
The main explanation for this is that it is more difficult to give up fewer runs in a high-scoring game than it is in a low-scoring one.
Bowler’s Heavy Workload
Bowlers earn extra credit points added to their ratings if they bowl more overs than other bowlers on the team.
The outcome of the game
Finally, not only does the bowlers but also the batsmen benefit from the outcome of the game.
Bonus points are awarded to bowlers who perform well in a match that results in victory for their team.
In contrast to a victory against a weaker opponent (low ranked team), bonus points are awarded more highly if a strong bowling performance wins against a stronger opponent (high ranked team).
Player Ranking for Twenty20 and ODI Teams
As previously mentioned, the player raking structure for Twenty20 and One Day Internationals (ODIs) is based on the same principles as for Test Matches.
Once more, the rankings are determined by calculating the ratings that each player gets based on how well they perform in a match.
Additionally, the criteria used to assign rating points to each player following the game are comparable to those used in the practice matches.
Extra variables taken into account for ODI and T20 matches
When comparing rating points for a player in ODI and T20 matches, there are a few small but significant differences, despite the rating system being similar to that of Test Matches. These are listed in the following order:
Points for Batsman’s Rating: Quick Run Scoring
A batsman must score runs far more quickly in One Day International and Twenty20 cricket than in Test Match cricket. This provides a very beneficial advantage to their respective teams.
For this reason, a batsman who scores runs quickly receives a lot of credit in both T20 and ODI cricket.
Therefore, a batsman who scores 50 runs off of 25 balls will be valued higher than one who scores 50 runs off of 100 balls.
Economy Rate (applying to bowlers)
In limited-overs cricket, a bowler’s ability to concede fewer runs per over is just as crucial as a batsman’s ability to score runs quickly.
As a result, a bowler who concedes fewer runs per over on average (known as their economy rate) receives a higher rating point total.
Points Lost
A player faces consequences if they miss a game. A player loses 0.5% of their overall rating points for missing an ODI match. For a T20 match, a player forfeits 2% of their overall rating points.
For instance, in the T20 format, if a player has 500 rating points. Consequently, the player’s total rating point total will be reduced by 10 rating points (2% of 500) if he or she misses one T20 match. The player will therefore have 490 rating points following the game.
Ordering for All Rounder Players
The way that the player rankings for bowlers and batsmen and all-rounders operate is a little different.
An all-rounder’s ratings are calculated using a straightforward formula. This is what it looks like:
(Batting Points X Bowling Points)/1000 = All Rounder Rating Points
This formula’s fundamental tenet is that an all-round player is a player who can bat and bowl. An all-rounder’s batting and bowling performance can therefore be determined by simply multiplying his rating points, which are already determined by a number of factors related to his batting and bowling.
Put simply, an all-round player will be rated highly if he has high ratings for both his bowling and batting.
Relevant ICC Player Rankings Questions
Q.1- What criteria does ICC use to determine which player belongs on the list?
The ICC keeps track of every player who participates in an international match through their player’s ranking. Nonetheless, the player must – in order to be included in the list.
- Participate in at least one match during the qualifying period. Which is typically 12–15 months for Tests and 9–12 months for ODIs and T20s.
- The athlete must still be active and not have given up on playing cricket for a living.
Moreover, only the Top 100 players—as determined by their ratings—are published by ICC. As a result, it might take some time before a player is listed.
Parthiv Patel is an intriguing example. He was eliminated from the rankings in 2009 following a 12-month qualifying period after losing his spot on the Indian team in 2008. Player was removed from the list, but he kept his ratings, which gradually dropped as he missed games. He was then added back to the list after being taken up once more in 2016.
How frequently are rankings updated?
Following every test match, the test rankings are updated (usually within 12 hours). ODI and T20 rankings, however, are updated following the conclusion of the series.
Q.2- What happens to a player’s ratings in a match if he doesn’t bat or bowl?
A batsman’s rating doesn’t change if he doesn’t bat. If a team only lost two wickets during its innings and the batsman was not given the opportunity to bat, it would not be just to penalize the batsman’s ratings.
A bowler who hasn’t bowled isn’t penalized if the opposition is bowled out for a score of less than 150 (it’s possible that the match’s circumstances favoured other bowlers and his abilities weren’t required). Nevertheless, bowlers who do not bowl during such innings are penalized and lose points if the opposition posts a large total.
Q.3- Why do wicketkeepers not receive rankings?
Because it is hard to evaluate wicketkeepers fairly based only on their skills, there are no rankings for them. The opportunities a bowler creates determine a lot of the catches and stumpings that a wicket keeper is responsible for. Furthermore, a wicket-keeper does not maintain an accurate record of chances missed. (Anyway, how would you characterize a lost opportunity?)
Is it possible to determine a player’s skill level based only on their rating points?
Rating points work similarly to conventional averages because they record such minute details of a player’s performance.
A score of more than 900 is extremely impressive. Few players make it there, and even fewer stick around for very long!
• Comparably, a player typically needs to have 750 rating points or more to be in the top 10 of the player ranking.
• A solid rating is one that is 500 points or higher.
Last Words
Heave hooray! When you take into account the scoring for each and every player who participates in international cricket. The ICC Player Ranking System appears somewhat complicated. The computations are all automated as a result. However, it’s critical that we comprehend the methodology and the factors taken into account in order to fully comprehend how the system functions.
I hope this post has helped you understand how the ICC rankings are calculated and has been able to address some or all of your questions. We plan to release a video soon to provide a visual explanation of this. Stay tuned until then!