Your best current test team is..

[Black_Warrior]

I think India will remain number 1 for a while because I don't see them losing a home series this year.

 

[Howe_zat]

Talking up England's away record is pretty dodgy. It's easy to say no one has performed away from home because we've had a few thrashings, but everyone with a claim has one good away win in the last couple of years. England in SA, Aus in SA, India in SL, even SL in England. NZ perhaps lacking one but they did better than everyone else to draw in UAE and played well in England.

So we have to look at home record and since Aus and India have smashed everyone touring there in the last three years to bits, it's not surprising that they're at the top of the table.

If Australia can go to NZ and win they've got a very good claim to being the clear best side, which will be reflected in the rankings. If not then India is a fair call and it's back to the merry go round for a bit. That's allowed.

We need to stop deifying the rankings and give the no.1 side this bizarre mental criteria that doesn't exist. Maybe if we had a proper fixture list that completed a fixed number of matches for everyone then we could have a real championship, but as it is it's just noteworthy, nothing more.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah England are by far the most likely to lose a home test match/series where as Aus/Ind (in particular Aus) just bludgeon everyone at home so I'd have England 3rd behind India with Aus 1.

 

[Black_Warrior]

We need to stop deifying the rankings and give the no.1 side this bizarre mental criteria that doesn't exist. Maybe if we had a proper fixture list that completed a fixed number of matches for everyone then we could have a real championship, but as it is it's just noteworthy, nothing more.

This is a result from having a generation that grew up watching the Australian invincibles. Once you start with that as a standard of a number 1 team, you can't make sense of the vast majority of cricket history where there were no real invincibles but 3-4 top teams battling it out.

This is why no matter who is number 1, someone will come and make a snarky comment like 'oh but they didn't win in my backyard'

 

[Tom Flint]

Pakistan will be number 1 within 2 years
Wahab and amir will form the best new ball attack in the world..solid middle order with younis and misbah carrying on for another year. Hafeez and shafiq look class and sarfraz averaging 45 from no.7
If they can get close to replacing Yasir I'd back them to win in England this summer

 

[Howe_zat]

I really don't know what to make of Pakistan but they're an interesting contender.

Their batting got handed to them last time they went outside Asia (to SA) so precedent suggests that they will struggle in England. It's all a bit up the air though.

 

[Tom Flint]

A lot will depend on how they replace younis and misbah but I expect shafiq to move up the order. Amir and wahab will be around for years they will be unbelievable..Boult and southee with wheels

 

[morgieb]

A lot will depend on how they replace younis and misbah but I expect shafiq to move up the order. Amir and wahab will be around for years they will be unbelievable..Boult and southee with wheels

Wahab is older than you think.

 

[Tom Flint]

How old is he

 

[morgieb]

How old is he

30, turning 31 this year.

 

[Tom Flint]

Just seen he's 30. Normally fast bowlers can remain at their top level with pace until 34/35. 4 years is a helll of a long time in test cricket.
Johnson peaked in his 30s and dominated the game for 2 years

 

[vcs]

This is actually an un-Pakistan-like Pakistan team. They are getting by being solid, consistent and professional. Usually you never knew what you would get from them, amazing talent or complete ineptitude with poor mental application.

Still, I don't see the technical solidity in their batting lineup to get results outside Asia, with all the best intentions. Surely Younis and Misbah don't have much longer to go.

 

[Tom Flint]

This is actually an un-Pakistan-like Pakistan team. They are getting by being solid, consistent and professional. Usually you never knew what you would get from them, amazing talent or complete ineptitude with poor mental application

Still, I don't see the technical solidity in their batting lineup to get results outside Asia, with all the best intentions. Surely Younis and Misbah don't have much longer to go.

There will be youngsters coming through to replace the
look at how well chandimal has done taking over from jayawardene

 

[91Jmay]

Wahab isn't that good either. Bowler of very good spells rather than a very good bowler. They need Amir back firing well else their seam attack is ordinary, I don't think Imran Khan is up to much.

 

[smash84]

Wahab isn't that good either. Bowler of very good spells rather than a very good bowler. They need Amir back firing well else their seam attack is ordinary, I don't think Imran Khan is up to much.

We agree on something

I think Rahat is better than both Wahab and Imran khan, The latter are pretty ordinary in test cricket

 

[91Jmay]

Who swings it the most (outside of Amir)? Would imagine they'd be your crucial bowlers for the England tour. Amir should be fantastic again, looking forward to watching him bowl.

 

[smash84]

Who swings it the most (outside of Amir)? Would imagine they'd be your crucial bowlers for the England tour. Amir should be fantastic again, looking forward to watching him bowl.

Rahat swings it more than wahab and ik. Only that he isn't a very consistent bowler himself.

 

[91Jmay]

Probably worth a go with Rahat, Wahab, Amir then. Bit of variety there to be fair, it isn't a bad seam attack all things considered. Spinner is an interesting one, I can't see Babar being threatening at all in England.

 

[Captain_Cook]

England by the slimmest of margins. Solid players to see off the new ball, a dynamic middle order and a balanced bowling attack. They are the only team I can see with a (slim) chance of beating Australia at home in the near future. They have transformed out of sight since the pathetic showing in the Caribbean at the start of 2015. Only missing ingredients are an opener and a top-class spinner and they could be top of the rankings for 2 or 3 years.

 

[Prince EWS]

My ranking systems spits this out:

1. Australia - 274.83
2. South Africa - 264.58
3. India - 234.67
4. England - 220.92
5. Pakistan - 203.33
6. New Zealand - 190.00
7. Sri Lanka - 170.00
8. West Indies - 124.17
9. Bangladesh - 67.50
10. Zimbabwe - 50.00

South Africa lost their number one ranking yesterday by this system too, but to Australia rather than India.

I voted for South Africa anyway because I'm not sure it's all that wise to read so much into a lost series with so many injuries, but there are lots of warning signs beyond the actual result so I can see myself changing my mind fairly quickly from here. I think more than anything else I voted for South Africa as a cop out so I didn't have to decide who was now best out of the chasing pack. It's been a case of South Africa declining rather one of the other teams breaking out of that group.

Interestingly, South Africa are still regarded as comfortably the best 'away' team by my rankings formula, but are taken down on the overall rankings by Australia's awesome home record.

Away
1. South Africa - 128.75
2. Australia - 117.33
3. England - 97.92
4. Sri Lanka - 80.00
5. New Zealand - 78.33
6. Pakistan - 77.50
7. India - 77.17
8. West Indies - 45.83
9. Zimbabwe - 17.50
10. Bangladesh - 12.50

Home
=1. Australia - 157.50
=1. India - 157.50
3. South Africa - 135.83
4. Pakistan - 125.83
5. England - 123.00
6. New Zealand - 111.67
7. Sri Lanka - 90.00
8. West Indies - 78.33
9. Bangladesh - 55.00
10. Zimbabwe - 32.50