BBC SPORT | Cricket | ICC table puts Australia top

Australia are the best one-day cricket team in the world, according to a new ranking system revealed by the game's governing body on Thursday.

Ricky Ponting's side only managed to get to the semi-final stage of the recent ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, which featured the world's top 12 teams.

ICC ODI Rankings Table

Australia 128 pts

South Africa 120

Sri Lanka 117

Pakistan 115

India 106

England 96

West Indies 94

New Zealand 91

Zimbabwe 67

Kenya 22

Bangladesh 11

But the strength of their opponents over the last two years gains them the top spot ahead of South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

The new table gives ratings for all 10 Test countries plus Kenya, the only nation to hold one-day international but not Test status.

It uses a complicated formula taking into account the following factors:

Results from all ODI matches played over the previous two to three years

Strength of opposition, with greater reward for beating higher ranked opponents

Greater importance is placed on more recent results, with older matches dropped every 12 months

All matches have equal status, with no account taken of venue or margin of victory

The one-day ranking system is launched 18 months after an ICC league table for Test cricket, which Australia have headed since its inception.

It comes about after Lord Condon recommended in his report into match-fixing that meaningless games should be eliminated.

Rankings spot-on? Have your say

"Now, the result of every one of the 120 or so matches that will be played between he 11 ODI countries over the next 12 months will count towards a country's rating," said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.

"This will add a new dimension to the playing side of the game and contribute towards greater spectator interest."

The country with the highest rating is officially regarded as the best ODI team in world cricket, and will hold a specially commissioned trophy, while it tops the table.

Feature: Rankings 'no rival for World Cup'

The ranking will be updated after each match between the 11 major nations.


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