How ICC Ranking Works ?

August 4, 2022 | Rahul Shriwastav 3.9K Reads

Rahul Shriwastav

Mad cricket lover

Rahul Shriwastav

Mad cricket lover

Few rules of cricket are as mysterious as Bermuda Triangle and Ranking is one of them. Our normal concept is if the batter score more he/she should get a good rating. But the actual calculation system is not as simple as we think.

Batters scoring a century in the high-scoring game can get fewer rating points compared to the batsman scoring 40+ in low scoring game. Also, the opposition team matters, what's the ranking of the opposition team and what's the rating of the bowlers? 

For example, 

Jos Buttler scoring 100 in a T20 high-scoring game vs Bangladesh (Mustafizur/Taskin/Islam) can get a  lower rating than Surya Kumar scoring 60 vs Australia(Starc/Hazelwood/Cummins)in low scoring game.

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The Logic Behind Ranking Calculations

The rating points 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 several factors.

But even for just one person, determining a player's rating can be difficult due to the numerous variables and endless variations that can be made.

A General concept

1. Each player is given a performance rating on a scale from 0 to 1000. (slightly different for all-rounders)

2. Each player's performance is evaluated following the conclusion of every game.

3. A formula is used to analyze the performance.

4. Players receive new ratings after each game. But for ODI, T20 the ranking is adjusted  after each series  and after each game for Test Matches

5. Deubtant rating starts at 0, and they must constantly perform successfully to increase their rating points.

6. If a player skips a game, they lose some points for each game they skip.

How It works for Batsman

1. Runs Scored by a Batsman

2. Rating of the opponent Bowlers: Only scoring run doesn't matter much but what matter is how strong the opposition bowlers are. A batsman scoring a decent run against a high-rated bowler will get a good rating compared to the one scoring against bowlers with a low rating.

Combining the ratings of all the opponent team's bowlers is a quick approach to access this. The more the rating is given to the batsman's performance the higher the bowler's overall ratings are.

3. Runs scored in the Match: A batsman's century in a game with a low scoring average is valued higher and receives more rating points than a batsman's century in a game with a high scoring average.

4. Not Out: Bonus points are awarded for a batsman's performance if he or she manages to remain unbeaten by the end of the innings.

5. Result of the Match: It's another factor that gives a huge plus to the rating, if batters perform and their team wins they get the bonus rating and that bonus rating will go even higher if the result-oriented inning is played against a good quality team.

How it Works for Bowlers

1. Wickets Taken and Runs Conceded

2. Rating of the Batsman dismissed: As scoring run against a quality bowler gives an edge to the batters in the ranking same goes with the bowlers. If bowlers take the wicket of a top-rated batsman they receive an extra point.

Also taking 3 wickets of top-order batsmen is considered much more valuable than taking 5 wickets of lower-order batsmen.

3. Runs scored in the Match: A bowler will receive more rating points for taking wickets in a game where the opposition scored a huge total than for similar wickets in a game where the opposition scored a low total.

4. The outcome of the game: Last but not least, the outcome of the game affects both the bowlers and the batsmen as well. Bonus points are awarded to bowlers who excel throughout a match that results in a victory for their side.

For All Rounders

All-rounders' player rankings operate in a somewhat different way than batsmen and bowlers' rankings do.

A straightforward formula is employed to calculate an all-rounder rating: 

(Batting Points X Bowling Points)/1000 = All Rounder Rating Points. 

There are some factors which are considered for rating such as

Strike Rate (Batsman): This comes into consideration for limited over game, if a batsman scored with a good rate, he will get a bonus point.

For example, a Batter scoring 100 off 60 balls will get more rating than a batter scoring 100 of 100 balls

Economic Rate: As scoring a quick run for the batter is important in LOIs, containing the run is important for bowlers. The bowler with a low economy rate gets an edge in the rating.

The opinions presented here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily relfect the opinions of SportsGuff.