zen Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Going through the historical test rankings is like browsing through the rich history of cricket: Historical Test cricket rankings Year end top ranked players in Test cricket Date Top Batsman Country Top Bowler Country 2020 Kane Williamson New Zealand Pat Cummins Australia 2019 Virat Kohli India Pat Cummins Australia 2018 Virat Kohli India Kagiso Rabada South Africa 2017 Steve Smith Australia James Anderson England 2016 Steve Smith Australia Ravichandran Ashwin India 2015 Steve Smith Australia Ravichandran Ashwin India 2014 AB de Villiers South Africa Dale Steyn South Africa 2013 AB de Villiers South Africa Vernon Philander South Africa 2012 Michael Clarke Australia Dale Steyn South Africa 2011 Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka Dale Steyn South Africa 2010 Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka Dale Steyn South Africa 2009 Gautam Gambhir India Dale Steyn South Africa 2008 Shivnarine Chanderpaul West Indies Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka 2007 Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka 2006 Ricky Ponting Australia Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka 2005 Ricky Ponting Australia Shane Warne Australia 2004 Rahul Dravid India Glenn McGrath Australia 2003 Ricky Ponting Australia Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka 2002 Matthew Hayden Australia Glenn McGrath Australia 2001 Brian Lara West Indies Glenn McGrath Australia 2000 Sachin Tendulkar India Shaun Pollock South Africa 1999 Brian Lara West Indies Shaun Pollock South Africa 1998 Sachin Tendulkar India Allan Donald South Africa 1997 Steve Waugh Australia Glenn McGrath Australia 1996 Steve Waugh Australia Glenn McGrath Australia 1995 Brian Lara West Indies Shane Warne Australia 1994 Sachin Tendulkar India Shane Warne Australia 1993 Graham Gooch England Waqar Younis Pakistan 1992 Graham Gooch England Curtly Ambrose West Indies 1991 Graham Gooch England Curtly Ambrose West Indies 1990 Richie Richardson West Indies Malcolm Marshall West Indies 1989 Richie Richardson West Indies Malcolm Marshall West Indies 1988 Javed Miandad Pakistan Richard Hadlee New Zealand 1987 Dilip Vengsarkar India Richard Hadlee New Zealand 1986 Viv Richards West Indies Richard Hadlee New Zealand 1985 Allan Border Australia Richard Hadlee New Zealand 1984 Clive Lloyd West Indies Malcolm Marshall West Indies 1983 Clive Lloyd West Indies Imran Khan Pakistan 1982 Viv Richards West Indies Imran Khan Pakistan 1981 Viv Richards West Indies Dennis Lillee Australia 1980 Viv Richards West Indies Ian Botham England 1979 Sunil Gavaskar India Ian Botham England 1978 Sunil Gavaskar India Bob Willis England 1977 Viv Richards West Indies Dennis Lillee Australia 1976 Viv Richards West Indies Andy Roberts West Indies 1975 Alvin Kallicharran West Indies Dennis Lillee Australia 1974 Glenn Turner New Zealand Derek Underwood England 1973 Garry Sobers West Indies Geoff ArnoldBishen Bedi England India 1972 Garry Sobers West Indies Derek Underwood England 1971 Garry Sobers West Indies Derek Underwood England 1970 Doug Walters Australia Derek Underwood England 1969 Doug Walters Australia Derek Underwood England 1968 Garry Sobers West Indies Lance Gibbs West Indies 1967 Garry Sobers West Indies Lance Gibbs West Indies 1966 Garry Sobers West Indies Lance Gibbs West Indies 1965 Ken Barrington England Lance Gibbs West Indies 1964 Garry Sobers West Indies Lance Gibbs West Indies 1963 Garry Sobers West Indies Fred Trueman England 1962 Garry Sobers West Indies Wes Hall West Indies 1961 Garry Sobers West Indies Alan Davidson Australia 1960 Garry Sobers West Indies Alan Davidson Australia 1959 Garry Sobers West Indies Fazal Mahmood Pakistan 1958 Peter May England Tony Lock England 1957 Peter May England Hugh Tayfield South Africa 1956 Peter May England Jim Laker England 1955 Clyde Walcott West Indies Hugh Tayfield South Africa 1954 Neil Harvey Australia Ray Lindwall Australia 1953 Len Hutton England Alec Bedser England 1952 Len Hutton England Bill Johnston Australia 1951 Len Hutton England Bill Johnston Australia 1950 Len Hutton England Bill Johnston Australia 1949 Len Hutton England Ray Lindwall Australia 1948 Denis Compton England Ray Lindwall Australia 1947 Don Bradman Australia Ernie Toshack Australia 1946 Don Bradman Australia Bill Voce England 1945 No Test cricket took place (due to World War II) 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 Don Bradman Australia Bill O'Reilly Australia 1938 Don Bradman Australia Bill O'Reilly Australia 1937 Don Bradman Australia Bill O'Reilly Australia 1936 Don Bradman Australia Hedley Verity England 1935 Don Bradman Australia Clarrie Grimmett Australia 1934 Don Bradman Australia Clarrie Grimmett Australia 1933 Don Bradman Australia Clarrie Grimmett Australia 1932 Herbert Sutcliffe England Clarrie Grimmett Australia 1931 Don Bradman Australia Clarrie Grimmett Australia 1930 Herbert Sutcliffe England Clarrie Grimmett Australia 1929 Herbert Sutcliffe England Maurice Tate England 1928 Herbert Sutcliffe England Maurice Tate England 1927 Jack Hobbs England Maurice Tate England 1926 Jack Hobbs England Maurice Tate England 1925 Jack Hobbs England Maurice Tate England 1924 Jack Hobbs England Jack Gregory Australia 1923 Herbie Taylor South Africa Jack Gregory Australia 1922 Jack Hobbs England Jack Gregory Australia 1921 Jack Hobbs England Jack Gregory Australia 1920 Jack Hobbs England Aubrey Faulkner South Africa 1919 No Test cricket took place (due to World War I) 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 Jack Hobbs England Aubrey Faulkner South Africa 1913 Jack Hobbs England Sydney Barnes England 1912 Jack Hobbs England Sydney Barnes England 1911 Aubrey Faulkner South Africa Sydney Barnes England 1910 Jack Hobbs England Tibby Cotter Australia 1909 Clem Hill Australia Colin Blythe England 1908 Clem Hill Australia Jack Saunders Australia 1907 Clem Hill Australia Colin Blythe England 1906 Clem Hill Australia Wilfred Rhodes England 1905 Stanley Jackson England Wilfred Rhodes England 1904 Clem Hill Australia Hugh Trumble Australia 1903 Clem Hill Australia Hugh Trumble Australia 1902 Clem Hill Australia Hugh Trumble Australia 1901 Tom Hayward England Hugh Trumble Australia 1900 Tom Hayward England Hugh Trumble Australia 1899 Tom Hayward England Hugh Trumble Australia 1898 Joe Darling Australia Tom Richardson England 1897 WG Grace England Johnny Briggs England 1896 Jack Lyons Australia Bobby Peel England 1895 WG Grace England Johnny Briggs England 1894 Jack Lyons Australia Johnny Briggs England 1893 Jack Lyons Australia Johnny Briggs England 1892 Jack Lyons Australia Johnny Briggs England 1891 WG Grace England Bobby Peel England 1890 WG Grace England Bobby Peel England 1889 Arthur Shrewsbury England Johnny Briggs England 1888 Arthur Shrewsbury England Bobby Peel England 1887 Arthur Shrewsbury England Billy Bates England 1886 Arthur Shrewsbury England Fred Spofforth Australia 1885 A. G. Steel England Joey Palmer Australia 1884 A. G. Steel England Joey Palmer Australia 1883 George Ulyett England Fred Spofforth Australia 1882 George Ulyett England Fred Spofforth Australia 1881 WG Grace England Fred Spofforth Australia 1880 WG Grace England Fred Spofforth Australia 1879 Charles Bannerman Australia Fred Spofforth Australia 1878 Charles Bannerman Australia Tom Kendall Australia 1877 Charles Bannerman Australia Tom Kendall Australia In batting, post WW2, Sobers dominates ... Richards has dominated too ... In bowling post 70, Hadlee and Steyn, the two wkt taking monsters Indwin 1 Link to comment
New guy Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 How is year end ranking dominating? Only the end of a year matters? Link to comment
zen Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 6 hours ago, New guy said: How is year end ranking dominating? Only the end of a year matters? What I like is that many players have done it in a number of years in a row -> Hadlee and Steyn, 4 years in a row ... Sobers has featured 12 times (including 6 yrs in a row, along with multiple back to back instances) from 59 to 73 Also, ICC #1 ranking whether team or player are passed on to the latest (so there is consistency as well) Link to comment
Gollum Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, New guy said: How is year end ranking dominating? Only the end of a year matters? 2 hours ago, zen said: What I like is that many players have done it in a number of years in a row -> Hadlee and Steyn, 4 years in a row ... Sobers has featured 12 times (including 6 yrs in a row, along with multiple back to back instances) from 59 to 73 Also, ICC #1 ranking whether team or player are passed on to the latest (so there is consistency as well) Year end ranking is flawed in cricket, in fact moronic is the word.....unlike tennis, the cricket season doesn't end at the end of the year. Imagine ATP declaring YE #1 in July before the US Open, ATP Finals and North American+Asian hardcourt+indoors swing!!!!! Southern hemisphere, Ind/Pak/SL/BD all are in the middle of their cricket home season in December. They must come with season ending rankings to give a better picture, cricket season generally ends all over the world in March last week, new season (historically) starts in May (now June courtesy IPL's window) in Eng/WI. That's why the ICC test mace is handed to #1 ranked team in 1st week of April. Edited April 17, 2021 by Gollum Vk1, New guy, AuxiliA and 1 other 4 Link to comment
zen Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Gollum said: Year end ranking is flawed in cricket, in fact moronic is the word.....unlike tennis, the cricket season doesn't end at the end of the year. Imagine ATP declaring YE #1 in July before the US Open, ATP Finals and North American+Asian hardcourt+indoors swing!!!!! Southern hemisphere, Ind/Pak/SL/BD all are in the middle of their cricket home season in December. They must come with season ending rankings to give a better picture, cricket season generally ends all over the world in March last week, new season (historically) starts in May (now June courtesy IPL's window) in Eng/WI. That's why the ICC test mace is handed to #1 ranked team in 1st week of April. As long as there is consistency (as all cricketers are judged per those parameters), it should be ok ... whatever period one picks, there can be questions on it (ignoring that a player has to do well throughout the period) ... As for me, I am particularly interested in those who have done it back to back, which automatically accounts for relatively longer periods Edited April 17, 2021 by zen Link to comment
zen Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 Pre WW2, we know guys like Bradman dominated ... Post WW2 (3 or more yrs in a row) Batting Hutton - 5 years in a row May - 3 years in a row Sobers - 6 years in a row Sobers - 3 years in a row Sobers - 3 years in a row Richards - 3 years in a row Gooch - 3 years in a row S Smith - 3 years in a ro Bowling Johnston - 3 Gibbs - 5 Underwood - 4 Hadlee - 4 Murali - 3 Steyn - 4 6 batsmen & 6 bowlers! Link to comment
Jay Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 2 hours ago, zen said: Pre WW2, we know guys like Bradman dominated ... Post WW2 (3 or more yrs in a row) Batting Hutton - 5 years in a row May - 3 years in a row Sobers - 6 years in a row Sobers - 3 years in a row Sobers - 3 years in a row Richards - 3 years in a row Gooch - 3 years in a row S Smith - 3 years in a ro Bowling Johnston - 3 Gibbs - 5 Underwood - 4 Hadlee - 4 Murali - 3 Steyn - 4 6 batsmen & 6 bowlers! Surprised Murali was voted 3 in a row. Must be during his peak chucking days. Link to comment
sage Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 5 hours ago, Jay said: Surprised Murali was voted 3 in a row. Must be during his peak chucking days. This isn't votes Link to comment
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