The ICC rankings are flawed and need to be looked into immediately

The new number 1 team

The plans of holding a Test championship was welcomed by all and sundry around the cricketing world. After all, the prospect of teams battling it out for the Test mace is certainly a mouth-watering prospect. Thus, the ICC rankings are no longer mere numbers stacked together in a list. Teams look into the rankings much more closely now, because these rankings will determine which teams will qualify for the limited overs World Cup and the Test championship.

These numbers have assumed greater significance now, and thus there will be more scrutiny done about the inviolability of these numbers. There is also this raging debate that the present system is flawed and it either needs to be revamped or scrapped entirely. If even we put in the mildest words, these rankings do not make any real sense at the moment and thus even if a team is ranked number 1, there is so much grey area that it can be gazed upon rather bluntly.

Hence it has become absolute mandatory that these rankings are taken seriously and something is done to overhaul the system because in the longer run these very numbers will dictate which teams make the cut when it comes down qualifying for the two aforementioned Championships. So where exactly is the system going wrong?

First and foremost, let us take a look at the ODIs and T20s rankings. In these formats, all matches are given equal importance, and every match is ranked using the same formula. Now, in what is the most bizarre criteria is the fact that venues and the margin of victory are not taken into account. This is what needs to be looked into. The entire cricketing concept revolves around bilateral tours and it is almost unforeseeable to imagine why the venues are taken into account. It basically takes away the added the incentive which should be provided to touring Teams for an away victory. This criterion certainly needs to relook at the earliest.

And then there is the factor of not giving the margin of victory any importance, which basically means that a dominating performance is the same as a win attained by scrapping till the last moment.

Now coming down to Test cricket and the system which is followed here is better in tune with the demands. Unlike the ODIs, here the series win is given bigger importance, which is a massive factor.

But, then there is one major factor which needs definite introspection is the home advantage factor. Case in point is Australia's recent humiliation at the hands of Sri Lanka. This came even as Australia came into the series on the back of dominating almost every team at home and then were thoroughly exposed on the sluggish Sri Lankan surfaces. None of the batsmen looked comfortable against the turning ball, and this was proof enough of the shambolic nature of the ICC rankings. Australia were stripped off their rankings, and Pakistan were crowned the new number 1.

Pakistan many believe are worthy recipients of the mace, but then even their journey to the top is a contentious one. They have not played Australia since 2010, have not played India since 2007 and have not toured South Africa since 2013. While they have been a very dominant team in Abu Dhabi and have shown that they are no pushovers in foreign conditions, they have not been tested much overseas in the past 3-4 years.

If the ICC are indeed serious about a Test championship they have to make sure that every team plays each other in home and away conditions, as this is the only way which can give us a better indication of the worth of a particular team.

But not jumping the gun too much, the ICC should first make sure that the Future Tour Plans are so designed that the top 5 to 6 teams play each other in a 4-year cycle and the games are held in both home and away conditions. Also, the clout of the big-3 in the ICC is no secret, and thus the ball is squarely in their court. They have to come out and propagate this theory of respecting the FTP, and giving the other teams their fair due.

There is so much which follows these rankings, and so much is at stake for the countries and the fans, that the ICC will have to take their issue into cognisance. For even if the sole principle is that of raking in the moolah, making these rankings competitive could go a long way in keeping the competition healthy.