Best performing cricket nations per capita & other factors considered...

[Zinzan]

After all the recent criticism of the New Zealand cricket team in this Indian series; and a lot of it justified I might add, it did get me thinking..........By rights, should NZ with their population slightly over 4 million people be expected to compete with a cricketing-mad nation like India with nearly 300 times as many people? And maybe its worth looking at the resources available to each country which may put things in perspective a little more & give us all a better understanding of the challenges each nation faces in producing their top XI's

I'd also like to point out that the straight population statistics don't tell the whole story. i.e. there is a high level of poverty in some cricketing countries meaning a high proportion of the population don't get the opportunities they would in fully developed countries like Eng, Aust & NZ.

Then there are some other factors to consider; such as where cricket stands as a priority- sport in these respective nations, the politics involved i.e. South Africa and their quota system amongst other factors...

All that said, I'm interested in everyone's thoughts........


Rank these countries of the cricketing strength per capita based on the below population stats, but also considering other factors such as socio-economic factors, politics etc

Populations....

India 1,160,910,000 (or 1.16 billion)
Pakistan 165,899,500 (165 million)
Bangladesh 162,221,000 (162 million)
United Kingdom 61,612,300 (62 million)
South Africa 48,697,000 (48 million)
Australia 21,707,964 (21 million)
Sri Lanka 20,238,000 (20 million)
Zimbabwe 12,800,000 (12.8 million)
West Indies 5,900,000 (5.9 million) (includes Antigua & Babuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent & Trinidad & Tobago)
New Zealand 4,301,785 (4.3 million)

..

A timely dig on the back of this latest performance from the Windies & a correction to boot. According to
this the population of the West Indies Federation is just 3.2 Million, so I'd sold them short.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Has to be the Windies, considering their population and their economic position as compared to the rest.

 

[morgieb]

Historically, the West Indies by a mile.

Now I dunno.

 

[r3alist]

Who voted for India??

 

[Zinzan]

Who voted for India??

Cevno, Cricket_God, Richard Rash & turnstyle from the poll, but I think Cevno was the only one who was serious about it

 

[honestbharani]

Zinzan just wanted a poll that NZ would win, tbh.

 

[Zinzan]

Zinzan just wanted a poll that NZ would win, tbh.

Lol it's the 2nd time you've made that same point now HB & I don't think it's obviously NZ at all, hence why I voted for Australia myself (in 2009).

I do think it is a genuinely close thing between Aust, WI, SL & NZ, especially considering the likes of WI's & SL don't have the equality & opportunities that Aussies & NZ'ders do.

Why do you think it's so obviously NZ HB?

 

[miscer]

i haven't read the op, the thread or even the poll closely enough to see whether the op meant now or over cricketing history but regardless the answer IMO is EASILY the west indies.

there are far and away the greatest team (per capita and imo even in absolute terms if u consider 80s WI) to have ever assembled. gotta love em.

 

[Jono]

A timely dig on the back of this latest performance from the Windies & a correction to boot. According to
this the population of the West Indies Federation is just 3.2 Million, so I'd sold them short.

What performance, losing 8 wickets in an hour?

 

[Cevno]

Cevno, Cricket_God, Richard Rash & turnstyle from the poll, but I think Cevno was the only one who was serious about it

Just looking back at my post, i voted based on per capita income somehow.

 

[honestbharani]

Lol it's the 2nd time you've made that same point now HB & I don't think it's obviously NZ at all, hence why I voted for Australia myself (in 2009).

I do think it is a genuinely close thing between Aust, WI, SL & NZ, especially considering the likes of WI's & SL don't have the equality & opportunities that Aussies & NZ'ders do.

Why do you think it's so obviously NZ HB?

I juz think they are the best performing cricket nation per capita and other considerations.

 

[BoyBrumby]

A timely dig on the back of this latest performance from the Windies & a correction to boot. According to
this the population of the West Indies Federation is just 3.2 Million, so I'd sold them short.

3.2m in 1962, tbf.

Today Jamaica has 2.8m & T&T 1.2m, so have more than that between them.

 

[Athlai]

In 1962 the population of NZ was 2.5 million.

Just saying.

 

[Flem274*]

Still the Windies for me. Proof you don't need a a large population to **** some ****s up.

 

[r3alist]

Wow, 4 people have voted for India, they are full of anomalies in terms of LACK of producing players.

 

[Burgey]

Incidentally if you combine Barbados and Antigua/Barbuda you would get an all-time team like:

Haynes
Greenidge
Worell (captain)
Viv Richards
Weekes
Sobers
Walcott (keeper)
Marshall
Garner
Roberts
Ambrose

This team coming from a total population of less than half a million would be quite competitive with an all-time team drawn from the rest of the world's population. Unbelievable.

Great side isn't it?

Could do a NSW one which would compete but the population here is much larger tbf.

Taylor/ Morris
Slater/ Trumper
Bradman
Border
S Waugh
Walters
Gregory
Gilchrist
Davo
Benaud/ O'Reilly
McGrath

Went just for blokes born here. Lacks the depth in express bowling of the other team, but Davo, McGrath and Gregory with (probably O'Reilly given the batting depth) plus some mediums from Waugh isn't a bad attack.

 

[Flem274*]

The South Island (population of around a million) has a decent combined side. Not a patch on the above, but still a decent team.

Glenn Turner (Otago)
Mark Richardson (Otago)
John Wright (Canterbury originally)
Bert Sutcliffe (Otago)
Stephen Fleming (Canterbury)
Nathan Astle (Canterbury)
Brendon McCullum (Otago)
Chris Cairns (Canterbury)
Richard Hadlee (Canterbury)
Shane Bond (Canterbury)
Frank Cameron (Otago)

I reckon there's an awesome South African side possible, but cbf looking it up. Very likely there are some gun English county sides as well.

 

[Zinzan]

The South Island (population of around a million) has a decent combined side. Not a patch on the above, but still a decent team.

Glenn Turner (Otago)
Mark Richardson (Otago)
John Wright (Canterbury originally)
Bert Sutcliffe (Otago)
Stephen Fleming (Canterbury)
Nathan Astle (Canterbury)
Brendon McCullum (Otago)
Chris Cairns (Canterbury)
Richard Hadlee (Canterbury)
Shane Bond (Canterbury)
Frank Cameron (Otago)

I reckon there's an awesome South African side possible, but cbf looking it up. Very likely there are some gun English county sides as well.

Yup, the 1969/70 side in particular would be right up there in this respect, especially considering they only chose from the 'white' South African's back then which may have made up a population of about 3-4 million & they were arguably the strongest side in the world at that time.

 

[Shri]

In 1962 the population of NZ was 2.5 million.

Just saying.

What was NZ's population in 1859?

 

[smash84]

Great side isn't it?

Could do a NSW one which would compete but the population here is much larger tbf.

Taylor/ Morris
Slater/ Trumper
Bradman
Border
S Waugh
Walters
Gregory
Gilchrist
Davo
Benaud/ O'Reilly
McGrath

Went just for blokes born here. Lacks the depth in express bowling of the other team, but Davo, McGrath and Gregory with (probably O'Reilly given the batting depth) plus some mediums from Waugh isn't a bad attack.

This batting line up is too good.