Cricket - All Time Top 10 Teams

Times change, players change, teams change, venues change, spirits change but all that they are building through time are the Records. This article takes you back through the cricket timeline to realize the top 10 teams throughout the cricket history. The teams change, but the experience passes on generation after generation to keeps the team spirit alive. This is the major reason that teams retain their ranks on the charts despite of changing players. This fact gets me into the position of ranking the teams according to their performance throughout the history.

#1 AUSTRALIA

ODI :- 1971-2011 768(p) 477(w) 258(l) 8(t) 25(nr) 64.73(win%)

Test: 1877-2011 730(p) 341(w) 192(l) 2(t) 195(d) 46.71(win%)

The results say it all! With a win% of 64.73 in ODI and 46.71 in Tests, Australia is undoubtedly the #1 team throughout the history. With 4 World cups(’87, ’99,’03,’07) to its name, Australia showed its superiority and dominance in the cricketing arena. Australia has retained its position on the top charts with a big margin. But this is no recent affair, Australia has given the greatest gems to cricket in the form of Sir Don Bradman, who dominated the game by holding the record for highest centuries, highest double centuries, highest batting average of 99.94 in Test Cricket. He was Knighted in 1948 for his services to Cricket. This is not it. Australia has given birth to other great players like Steve Waugh(ODI: M-325, R-7569) who helped Australia win the world cup, Shane Warne(ODI: M-193, WKT- 291), Ricky Ponting (ODI: M-391, R-13291) , Allan Border, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and many more.

#2 INDIA

ODI: 1974-2011 775(p) 382(w) 355(l) 4(t) 34(nr) 51.82(win%)

Test: 1932-2011 448(p) 109(w) 139(l) 1(t) 199(d) 24.33(win%)

Though in terms of records , India might not be anywhere close to Australia, but India has paved its way up the charts to reach the #2 spot. With 2 World cups(’83,’11) to its name and T20 World Cup(’07) , India has seen its growth after the 1970’s with the great players like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev ,Erapalli Prasanna(off spinner) and Srinivas Venkataraghavan (off spinner), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (leg spinner), Bishen Singh Bedi (left-arm spinner) , Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly & MS Dhoni. Initially India was known to be good only in the Indian Subcontinent but later India proved its dominance all round the globe under the leadership of Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni. India is currently rated the #2 team in ODIs after winning the ’11 World Cup. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among the top 100 influential people of the world.

#3 SRI LANKA

ODI: 1975-2011 627(p) 296(w) 3029l) 3(t) 26(nr) 49.50(win%)

Tests: 1982-2011 200(p) 61(w) 71(l) 0(t) 689(d) 30.50(win%)

The Lankans are our true neighbours, both in terms of location and ranking. As the statistics say, Sri Lanka has less amount of Test experience when compared to India and Australia but it is nowhere behind in terms of ODIs. With 1 World Cup to its name( ’96), and qualifying for the finals consecutively(’07,’11) and T20 finals(’09) , Sri Lanka qualifies for the #3 spot. This team holds the record for the highest team total in all three forms of the game. This team also boasts for having world class players in the form of Muttiah Muralitharan , Sanath Jayasuria, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas and many more.

#4 PAKISTAN

ODIs : 1973-2011 749(p) 401(w) 326(l) 6(t) 16(nr) 55.11(win%)

Tests: 1952-2011 358(p) 108(w) 100(l) 0(t) 150(dr) 30.16(win%)

With an impressive win% in ODIs and tests, 1 World Cup(’92) and 1 T20 World Cup(’09) Pakistan holds the #4 spot. The team also reached Semis four times(’79,’83,’87,’11). With great players in the side like Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Waseem Akram, Javed Miandad, Moin Khan, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar the team had a very good potential and they performed as per the expectation. Despite of good performance throughout the time, Pakistan is also known to be involved in lot of controversies like BALL TAMPERING controversy which was the reason for the spread of REVERSE SWING. It was founded by Sarfraz Nawaz which was later passed onto Imran Khan, Waseem Akram and later to the world. The team was later held in the Ball tampering controversy in 2006 in a series against England, then 2010 spot fixing allegation and doping of front-line bowlers Shoab Akhtar and Mohammad Asif. Yet Pakistan again proved to the hot favorite team for World Cup ’11 but unfortunately lost to India in the Semis.

#5 WEST INDIES

ODIs: 1973-2011 654(p) 340(w) 285(l) 5(t) 24(nr) 54.36(win%)

Tests: 1928-2011 470(p) 153(w) 155(l) 1(t) 161(dr) 32.55(win%)

The West Indies or the Windies have shown an impressive performance in both Tests and ODIs. The team has lifted World Cup twice(’75,’79) , appeared in the finals in World Cup ’83, reached the semis in World Cup ’96 and Quarters in World Cup ’11.With the statistics saying more than words, West Indies grabs the #5 spot on the list. West Indies has also given great names in the world of cricket like Sir Garfield Sobers, Lance Gibbs, Gordon Greenidge, George Headley, Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, Alvin Kallicharran, Rohan Kanhai and Everton Weekes, Brian Lara and Sir Viv Richards.

#6 ENGLAND

ODIs: 1971-2011 556(p) 267(w) 265(l) 6(t) 18(nr) 50.18(win%)

Tests: 1877-2011 910(p) 322(w) 261(l) 0(t) 327(dr) 35.38(win%)

The English, known to be the pioneers of cricket have been unfortunate when it comes to lifting the World Cup. They have thrice(’79,’87,’92) reached to the finals of the world and twice(’75,’83) to the semis. But the team lifted the T20 World Cup ’10. The English have played the highest number of Tests(910) with a win% of 35.38 which is quite impressive. These statistics are enough to give England the #6 spot. England saw both the series of losses and wins in test cricket.After a phase of continuous losses, under the captaincy of Nasser Hussain the team saw a brighter phase. Later England built a promising team under the leadership of Michael Vaughan with Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmisson, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones.

#7 SOUTH AFRICA

ODIs : 1991-2011 459(p) 287(w) 155(l) 5(t) 12(nr) 64.76(win%)

Tests : 1889-2011 358(p) 125(w) 124(l) 0(t) 109(dr) 34.91(win%)

The Proteas have been one of the favorite teams but have been unable to grab a World Cup despite of making it thrice(’92,’99,’07) to the Semis, twice(’96,’11) to the Quarters and once(’09) to the T20 semis. Because of this, the team was labeled as ‘chokers’. But this team has a lot more potential which can be seen as the Proteas were the group leaders in the group stages of the World Cup ’11 but lost to New Zeland in the Quarters. This team holds the record for the highest successful run chase (438-9 in 49.5 overs) which is known to the Greatest one day international. These statistics lead South Africa to the #7 spot. This team also contains/contained great stars like Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Hansie Cronje( who was under controversy for match fixing and later lost his life in a plane crash) , Jonty Rhodes, Graeme Smith , Herschelle Gibbs and many more.

#8 NEW ZEALAND

ODIs : 1973-2011 611(p) 263(w) 311(l) 5(t) 32(nr) 45.85(win%)

Tests: 1930-2011 364(p) 68(w) 147(l) 0(t) 149(dr) 18.68(win%)

With a not so impressive performance in terms of win% and just making it 5 times(’75,’79,’92,’99,’11) , once to the semis of T20 World Cup(’07) and once to the Quarters of the World Cup ’96 but not making it to the finals even once, New Zealand grabs the #8 spot in the list. But New Zealand has also produced some of the Great Cricketing Legends like Richard Hadlee, Chris Cairns, fast bowler Shane Bond, Nathan Astle, Brendon McCulllum, spinner with a lot of experience Daniel Vettori and many more.

#9 ZIMBABWE

ODIs: 1983-2011 393(p) 103(w) 276(l 5(t) 9(nr) 27.47(win%)

Tests: 1992-2005 83(p) 8(w) 49(l) 0(t) 26(dr) 9.63(win%)

The Zimbabwe cricket team has not been so impressive and the statistics support the argument But overall statistics being better than Bangladesh , the team grabs the #9 spot. The performance of this team can be termed as impulsive as at times the team upsets big teams like Australia in World T20 Championship ‘05 in the first round itself and on the other hand goes through a self-imposed suspension in 2005 declaring themselves unfit for the Test Cricket. But the country still managed to give World Class Players like Andy Flower, Andy Blignaut, Heath Streak, Murray Goodwin, David Houghton, Alistair Campbell and some more.

#10 BANGLADESH

ODIs: 1986-2011 247(p) 67(w) 178(l) 0(t) 2(nr) 27.34(win%)

Tests: 2000-2010 68(p) 3(w) 59(l) 0(t) 6(dr) 4.41(win%)

Team Bangladesh is known to have been improving day by day but its past performance does not lead it anywhere better than the #10 spot. Under the leadership of Shakib Al Hassan and Mohammad Ashraful in the side, the team is trying its level best to make a mark in the cricket arena.

(Article by Jigar Raisinghani)

(P.S.: www.wikipedia.com & www.cricinfo.com were referred for basic information)