Who is the No. 1 Cricket Team in the World?

International cricket is among the most competitive international sports competitions in the world. Teams from throughout the world compete in three different major formats on the pitch, yet some of the same nations constantly find themselves right in the thick of the top rankings list.

So, which team is the No. 1 cricket team in the world? That’s not such an easy and straightforward answer, as the rankings put forth by the International Cricket Council are constantly changing after matches. In addition, there are different teams ranked atop the list for Test matches, ODI and T20I events.

Let’s take a closer look below at some of the nations that are always in the conversation for being the No. 1 cricket team in the entire world.

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South Africa

South Africa currently finds itself ranked No. 3 by the ICC for Test matches. They’ve played 21 test matches and gained 2,306 points. In ODI, South Africa is sixth, with 2,111 points over 21 matches. For T20I, South Africa ranks No. 4, with 8,251 points in 32 total matches.

When South Africa first entered first-class and international cricket back in the late 1800s, they were not a match for nations such as England or Australia. But, they gained a lot of experience quickly, and started to field competitive teams at the turn of the century.

By facing some of the best competition in the world through the 1960s, South Africa’s cricket team was able to gain a lot of experience and start to really make waves. The nation was eventually banned by the ICC for international competitions for its apartheid policy, and that ban wasn’t lifted until 1991.

Once it was, the South African team has been one of the most successful teams in the world, especially in ODI matches, where they’ve won more than 60% of all their matches.

Australia

Australia is ranked as the No. 1 team by the ICC in Test matches. In 19 matches, they’ve earned 2,439 points — more than any other nation. In ODI, they rank fifth, with 2,325 points over 23 matches. And in T20I, they ranked sixth, with 9,009 points over 36 matches.

The nation played their first Test match in 1877, making it the joint oldest team in the history of Test cricket. In the history of the Australia men’s national team, they have played 844 Test matches, winning 400 of them. This has made Australia one of the most successful Test cricket teams across all of history.

In ODI matches, they’ve played 966 in history, winning 584 of them. They are the most successful cricket team in ODI history, as they’ve won more than 60% of all their matches in this format. They’ve even made it to the World Cup final a record seven different times, with the last one coming in 2015.

They’ve also won the World Cup five times, which is also a record, the last one coming in 2015 as well. Australia is the reigning champions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, after they beat New Zealand in the final in 2021.

England

England currently ranks as the No. 4 team by the ICC for Test cricket. They have earned 3,909 points over 39 matches. For ODI, they rank second, with 3,226 points over 27 matches. And in T20I, they also rank second, with 8,907 points over 34.

England is one of the founding nations of the International Cricket Council. Through the 1990s, players from both Ireland and Scotland actually played for the English team, as their separate nations weren’t full ICC members just yet.

England has played 1,052 Test matches in their history, winning 382 of them and receiving a draw in 354 (with 316 losses). Australia and England play one of the most famous trophies in the entire sport of cricket — The Ashes. England has won 32 times.

In 777 ODI matches in history, England has won 389 of them. They’ve appeared in the Cricket World Cup final four different times, but have only won once — in 2019. They were runners-up in two different ICC Champions Trophies, in 2004 and 2013. They also won the ICC T20 World Cup back in 2010 and finished as the runner-up in 2016.

India

The ICC currently ranks India as the No. 2 cricket team in Test matches. They have earned 3,318 points in 29 matches. In ODI, India is ranked third, with 3,085 points in 28 matches. In T20I competitions, they rank No. 1 in the world, with 11,290 points in 42 matches.

The sport has been played in India since 1792, but their first Test match was played in 1932. They didn’t win a Test match until 1952, but they’ve been a very successful nation in international cricket ever since. It wasn’t until the 1970s, though, that India really started performing well in international competitions. In history, India has captured five major ICC tournaments, including the Cricket World Cup two times, the ICC T20 World Cup once, and the ICC Champions Trophy two different times.

New Zealand

New Zealand ranks as No. 5 in the world for Test matches, according to the ICC. They have earned 2,704 points over 27 matches in that format. In ODI, they are ranked No. 1 in the world, earning 2,051 points in 16 matches. In T20I, they rank fifth overall, with 8,299 points earned in 33.

New Zealand played their first Test match back in 1930, playing against England. They became the fifth country to play Test cricket when they did so. Despite this, it took than 26 years to win their first Test match, which came in 1956.

The country didn’t join ODI until the 1972-1973 season, when they played against Pakistan. New Zealand has also participated in all 28 of the ICC men’s events that have been held since 1975. In total, they’ve earned their way to the finals six different times, winning two titles in the process.

West Indies

West Indies is currently ranked eighth by ICC in the Test matches, earning 1,988 points in 25 matches thus far. They rank No. 9 in the world in ODI, with 2,621 points in 38 matches. In T20I, they rank No. 7 in the world, with 9,946 points earned across 41 matches.

The players on the West Indies team actually come from 15 different territories and nation-states in the Caribbean. At one point between the late 1970s through the early part of the 1990s, they were one of the strongest teams in the world in both ODI and Test cricket.

Some of the best cricketers in the world have come from the West Indies. The team has won the ICC Cricket World Cup two different times — in 1975 and in 1979.

Pakistan

Pakistan ranks No. 6 in the world Test rankings, according to the ICC, with 2,111 points across 23 matches. They rank higher, at No. 4, in ODI, with 2,005 points earned in 19 matches. They rank at No. 3 in the world in T20I, with 7,826 points earned across 30.

Pakistan started participating in Test matches in 1952 and have been performing well ever since. They were the World Cup champion in ODI back in 1992, and finished in second place in the tournament in 1999.  They also won the 2009 ICC World T20, and finished as runners-up in the first T20 tournament, which was held in 2007.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe ranks 10^th in the Test match list by the ICC, with 148 points in six matches. They rank 15^th in ODI, earning 539 points in 17 matches. They rank 11^th in the world in T20I, with 7,557 points earned in 39.

The country became a full member of the ICC in 1992. While that’s not very long ago, the nation has been working hard to compete at a very high level, and have done so, hanging with some of the biggest powers in the world. They’ve appeared in the ODI World Cup nine times, finishing in the Super Sixes twice — in 1999 and 2003.

Conclusion

These are many of the top nations in cricket in the world. The ICC has different rankings for the three different formats of cricket, but as you can see, most of these nations consistently rank near the top in every format.Remember, if you want to bet on cricket, check out our site first. There, you can find all the information you’d need to be better prepared to bet at a reputable site on one of these top cricket nations.

Last Updated on 26/12/2022 ago by Devak Mukherjee