History
The ICC Player Rankings was devised in 1987 by a former English cricketer, Ted Dexter. Dexter intended to validate the current standing of a player based on recent performances rather than career averages which are based on the player’s performance from the start of his career. Although initially the rankings were only provided for Test cricket, the very next year in 1988, One day International rankings were also introduced. Currently Reliance mobile has endorsed the rankings in a deal with the International Cricket Council till 2015.
Methodology
The players are rated on a scale of 0 to 1000 points. The ratings were to be influenced by the player’s performance, competitiveness of the opposing team and the match conditions. After every match played, the points are calculated and increased or decreased depending on the improvement from the previous match. The following factors are considered when calculating the points.
Batsman
• Runs scored • Competitiveness of the bowlers • Value added by the player’s score to the team total • Bonus points if the player remained not out • Bonus points for player who scored high runs in a match that was won by the team • Rapid scoring (ODI only)
Bowlers
• Runs given and wickets claimed • Competitiveness of the batsmen dismissed • Value of the bowler’s performance to the opposing team’s total • Number of overs bowled • Bonus points for the bowler who bowled well in the match which resulted in a win • Economy (only ODI)
Exceptional factors
• A player looses 1 percent of his total points for missing a Test match for any reason. • A player looses 1/2 percent of his total points for missing a ODI match. • Extra credit for playing World Cup Matches