ESPNcricinfo’s correspondents sum up the state of each Full Member nation

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2020It is just over two months since cricket came to an abrupt halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic and, like all sports, the game now faces a huge challenge to resurrect itself. The early signs of a return are starting to take shape, but a lot of work remains. ESPNcricinfo’s correspondents sum up the state of each Full Member nation.Afghanistan have little to smile about off the field. The board has been forced to cut salaries and is in dire need of sponsors•ICC via Getty

Afghanistan

By Danyal RasoolState of (non) play
Afghanistan got through with a three-match T20I series in March, but that’s their only international cricket this year so far. The Asia Cup is next, though it looks unlikely to go ahead. The Afghanistan Cricket Board did have an agreement to travel to Zimbabwe outside the purview of the FTP for a five-match T20I series, but the final call on it has yet to be taken.How are the finances?
On a ventilator, from the looks of things. Available sources of funding have dried up swiftly, and the ACB has been forced to cut staff salaries, with head coach Lance Klusener, assistant coach Nawroz Mangal and batting coach HD Ackerman taking 25% pay cuts that will rise to 50% next month. The financial pain isn’t just pandemic-related, with the ACB reeling since a major sponsor, Alokozay Group of Companies, withdrew after differences with the board. The Afghanistan government grant contributes about 15% of the board’s total finances, and that is yet to be distributed among rearranged priorities due to the pandemic.What matters most?
Money. The crippled finances mean Afghanistan may be forced to let go of their coaching staff if they are unable to pay their salaries, and they are in desperate need of sponsors. CEO Lutfullah Stanikzai told ESPNcricinfo recently they were forced to find sponsors on an ad-hoc basis, and were looking mainly to Indian sponsors to help stem the bleeding. To make matters worse, clothing sponsor Tykia terminated its sponsorship contract, due to run until the end of this year, because of the pandemic.The comeback plans
There is severe doubt about whether the 2020 Shpageeza League can be held at all, and besides that, Afghanistan are beholden to external forces, which will largely determine when they resume. If Zimbabwe green-lights the T20I series, scheduled for later in the year, that could be the first internationals they play. There is a one-off Test scheduled against Australia, though you’d expect that isn’t as much a priority for Cricket Australia as the series against India will be later in the year.Kevin Roberts said that CA had been left with little choice but to make major cost savings•Getty Images

Australia

By Andrew McGlashanState of (non) play
Australia’s season ended abruptly but only a little earlier than the scheduled close when the ODI series against New Zealand was curtailed, and then the T20I series across the Tasman postponed along with the women’s tour to South Africa. The Test tour to Bangladesh in June will not be happening and the limited-overs trip to England in July could be played in September. There was also due to be a series against Zimbabwe in August in the Top End of Australia but that is unlikely to happen.How are the finances?
On a knife edge, if you believe Cricket Australia, but there is significant scepticism as to whether things are as bad as have been made out, which has led to most CA staff being stood down on 20% pay until the end of June at least, with redundancies expected down the line. There are also ongoing talks between CA and the players’ union over potential pay cuts. The states are bracing for a 25% cut in funding, although some are still resisting, while there have already been significant job losses with the impacts also being felt down to community and grassroots level.What matters most?
Much of the uncertainty stems from the fate of the India tour later in the year, which could cost CA A$300 million if it doesn’t take place, although it is looking increasingly as having a good chance of going ahead albeit without crowds. There are various plans mooted, including using a reduced number of venues to aid bio-security protocols.The comeback plans
Restrictions around Australia are slowly being eased as Covid-19 numbers remain low. However, travel remains significantly limited and international teams will likely need dispensation to arrive and possible quarantine, which is a huge challenge for the T20 World Cup in October. One of the contingencies being discussed is making use of a trans-Tasman travel “bubble” for Australia and New Zealand to play each other. Signs are promising, though, that domestically the season should be able to get underway as scheduled in late September. Players could be back training in the next couple of weeks.Tamim Iqbal cuts a short ball•AFP

Bangladesh

By Mohammad IsamState of (non) play
Around mid-March, the Bangladesh Cricket Board first postponed the T20Is for the Bangabandhu birth centenary, after which the Dhaka Premier League, the domestic one-day competition, was stopped after just one round of matches. Bangladesh’s tour of Ireland in May as well as Australia’s visit for two Tests in June have been postponed. Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka in July and New Zealand’s tour of Bangladesh in August remain undecided.How are the finances?
The large BCB staff – including centrally contracted national and first-class cricketers as well as foreign coaches – have been receiving their salaries on schedule. The board has also already made a one-time payment to all Dhaka Premier League cricketers and is going to pay another one-time stipend. From this point, another three or four months is still going to be sustainable, but like all other boards or sports bodies, the BCB will run into trouble if the lockdown extends to more than six months.What matters most?
One of those, of course, is the T20 World Cup in October, which is a significant source of income for the BCB, like for the rest of the participating nations. On the field, the most significant miss is the matches of the World Test Championship against Pakistan and Australia, while the ones against Sri Lanka and New Zealand also hang in the balance. BCB will also be anxious about its postponed new TV deal, wondering whether or not Gazi TV or any other broadcaster will become a long-term partner. BCB will also be banking heavily on next season’s BPL, set to be a return for franchise-based competition, starting on time.The comeback plans
Bangladesh continues to be under lockdown, which includes a countrywide ban on public transport and shutdown of all government and non-government offices. The players’ association has, however, petitioned for the resumption of the Dhaka Premier League after Eid-ul-Fitr, but so far there is no plan for a straightforward return to the field. The BCB has discussed its exit plan internally, and it is likely that national cricketers will be given at least eight weeks to regain fitness. The BCB can give a better picture of when cricket returns to the field only after Eid, and if the transport suspension is taken off in June.Joe Root leads his team off the field after the postponement of their Test series in Sri Lanka•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

England

By Valkerie BaynesState of (non) play
England’s squad left Sri Lanka in mid-March, days before their two-Test series was supposed to start and their entire home season has been thrown into disarray. A three-Test series against West Indies, due to begin on June 4, was postponed. However ECB is working on plans to hold those matches – followed by three Tests against Pakistan – behind closed doors, possibly from July 8. There is also the matter of trying to cram limited-overs series against Pakistan, Australia and Ireland into a revised schedule. But with players due to return to training this week under strict health controls, there are positive signs that international cricket will be played this summer. Hopes of any county cricket being staged hang largely on the T20 Blast potentially being played late in the season after the inaugural Hundred tournament was delayed until 2021.How are the finances?
Staring down the barrel. Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, has said the game faces losses of £380 million should the entire season be wiped out, with losses of £100 million incurred already. The ECB’s financial reserves had fallen from £73 million in 2016 to £11 million 12 months ago, impacting its ability to withstand the impact of the pandemic. Centrally contracted men’s and women’s players volunteered to take the equivalent of a 20% pay cut for three months. ECB staff have also taken pay cuts or been furloughed under a scheme whereby the government covers a proportion of their salaries. Almost all counties have placed the majority of playing and non-playing staff on furlough and some have agreed wage reductions.What matters most?
Staging international cricket. If the ECB can fulfil some of its broadcast commitments, it could help soften the financial blow Harrison forecasts. It is worth noting that England Women face the prospect of playing second fiddle to the more lucrative men’s fixtures in the clamour for game time at limited “bio-secure” venues. Should their already postponed series against India and scheduled matches against South Africa not go ahead, it would spell a significant loss of visibility for the women’s game.The comeback plans
Some 30 elite players are returning to training at venues around the country, first on individual programmes with one or two coaches and a physio observing social-distancing guidelines. If health authorities decide it is safe, players will be allowed to train in small groups and in closer contact at a later date. As international arrivals to the UK are likely to require to self-isolate for 14 days, West Indies would aim to arrive a month before any scheduled start. England are preparing to operate separate Test and white-ball squads to fit as many fixtures as possible into a truncated season, meaning selectors face tough choices over the likes of cross-format stars Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.The Mumbai Indians players pose with the IPL 2019 trophy•BCCI

India

By Nagraj GollapudiState of (non) play
Other than the IPL, India had no cricket planned in the summer. In July, they are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series followed by a Zimbabwe tour comprising three ODIs in August. Then India are scheduled to host England for white-ball cricket between the Asia Cup in September and the T20 World Cup in October. Then comes the four-Test series in Australia starting November.How are the finances?
Being the richest cricket board has its perks, so the BCCI is yet to feel the pinch from the pandemic. International player contracts are up for renewal only in October, by when the BCCI is hopeful cricket will resume.What matters most?
Conducting the IPL. Not just the franchises and players, but even the BCCI derives a large portion of its revenue from its lucrative cricket league, thanks to the record media rights deal signed in 2017. If there is no IPL this year, the BCCI stands to lose income to the tune of INR 4000 crore ($0.53 billion approx) from the media rights deal. That could affect its payments to state associations and possibly even player contracts.The comeback plans
From Monday, India entered the fourth phase of lockdown, which is to last till May 31. However, the government provided a glimmer of hope for sports in the country, announcing that sporting facilities and stadiums can be reopened, but without crowds. The BCCI, though, has made it clear it will not rush the players back to training or play until conditions are safe and travel restrictions are eased. As soon as that happens, the board will devise a plan for players to get back to individual training.The Malahide Cricket Ground•Getty Images

Ireland

By Matt RollerState of (non) play
April’s tour of Zimbabwe was postponed a matter of weeks after it had been announced, while the whole home summer has been scrapped: the series against Bangladesh was the first to go, and the plug was pulled on fixtures against New Zealand and Pakistan last week. Ireland are hopeful the three-match ODI series in England will go ahead, but there are logistical problems to iron out. The board announced last week that no cricket activity would resume before June, including training. The domestic season, including the ill-fated Euro T20 Slam, looks doubtful.How are the finances?
Precarious. That is nothing new – CEO Warren Deutrom had to bail his own governing body out with a €100,000 ($112,000 approx.) loan back in 2018, and financial constraints had caused several games to be postponed or cancelled even before the pandemic hit. The most recent set of accounts showed that cash reserves had been depleted to just €13,470 ($14,700 approx.). That said, costs are currently low, with most non-playing staff furloughed and others taking temporary cuts. The players are still being paid their retainers, but most of their income is from match fees.What matters most?
The T20 World Cup. Ireland are more reliant than most on ICC distributions, so the postponement of that tournament and the resulting loss of TV revenues would be a serious blow. There will also be a battle to make sure that they are not squeezed out in a redrawn FTP, as bigger boards look to schedule series against more lucrative opposition.The comeback plans
Deutrom said that Ireland would “try to be as flexible as possible” regarding the England series, but admitted “numerous challenges have to be resolved” regarding dates, bio-secure venues, and quarantine requirements. The long-term worry is that it may prove difficult to rearrange postponed series, with staging costs high due to the lack of a permanent home ground.Tom Latham cuts one away as Alex Carey watches on•Getty Images

New Zealand

By Andrew McGlashanState of (non) play
New Zealand had to make a hasty departure from Australia in March when the borders started to close, which also meant the three home T20Is were postponed. Since then a European tour involving Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland has been cancelled while a visit to the Caribbean in July looks certain to go the same way with West Indies set to be in England if plans come together. The women’s team was due to tour Sri Lanka in April.How are the finances?
Holding out at the moment. NZC has held off any drastic measures, instead switching staff to a four-day working week and asking them to use annual leave. Being the off season has bought the board some time to assess the longer-term impact of the situation and the fact it had a visit by India shortly before the pandemic hit could prove vital. David White, the CEO, has committed to the domestic men’s and women’s game and the pathway programmes going ahead.What matters most?
Having an international season in some form will be vital, although whether the scheduled visits of Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh happen remains to be seen. There are discussions being had about taking advantage of a trans-Tasman travel ‘bubble’ if international movement remains restricted. Being a smaller cricket nation, the global events are key to NZC and it will be hoping the worst of the situation has passed by early next year and that it can host the women’s World Cup as planned.The comeback plans
At this stage it appears unlikely New Zealand’s players will see any action before the start of the home season. White has said he expects the domestic summer to proceed as scheduled as New Zealand deals effectively with the pandemic and continues to loosen restrictions. It could be that the women’s tour to Australia in September is the first international action.The final rounds of PSL group games were played without fans•AFP

Pakistan

By Danyal Rasool and Umar FarooqState of (non) play
Pakistan looked as if they might just about get through the PSL, but had to cancel it before the knockout stages had begun. The second Test of a series against Bangladesh in April, as well as a solitary ODI, had to be postponed too. Tours to Ireland and Netherlands are confirmed not to be taking place.How are the finances?
For another eight to ten months, the PCB’s financial health remains adequate. It hasn’t been required to slash salaries but did stop investing in infrastructure. No home series scheduled in the next seven months means no potential spending. In the last two months, it incurred an estimated loss of PKR 200 million ($1.2 million approx.) from gate revenues alone following the postponement of the PSL semi-finals and final, and the matches that were played in empty stadiums. Not hosting the final leg of the Bangladesh series also hurt the board, but this is money it can earn back once cricket resumes.What matters most?
There is growing confidence Pakistan could restart cricket sooner than most other countries, with an agreement to proceed with a Test series against England in August. There had also been talk that touring England would be on a quid pro quo basis, with England committing in principle to come to Pakistan for a series. While there is no evidence that such an agreement has been made, the PCB will be hopeful of it, and such a tour will become significantly likelier if the series in England goes ahead.The comeback plans
Pakistan have, so far, been spared the worst of the pandemic, though cases have begun rising exponentially of late. Flights have resumed, albeit only domestic ones. There are plans, however vague, to finish what little was left of the PSL as soon as possible, though it is far from clear precisely when that will happen, given the respective availability of players from around the world.South Africa’s short tour of India was cut short•Getty Images

South Africa

By Firdose MoondaState of (non) play
South Africa managed to complete their men’s home international programme, but the ODI squad returned home early from a three-match series in India in mid-March, just as the country entered its lockdown. Their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, scheduled for June, has been postponed and their two-Test, five-T20I visit to the Caribbean, set for mid-July to mid-August, appears unlikely. The women’s home series against Australia and away tour of the West Indies have been postponed. Domestically, the semi-finals and final of the franchise one-day cup and the final two rounds of the first-class competition could not be played.How are the finances?
Cricket South Africa entered the summer planning for a loss of R654 million ($35.4 million approx.) over the next four-year cycle owing to loss-making home fixtures and massive expenditure, while the South Africa Cricketers Association put that figure at close to R1 billion ($54.2 million approx.). That number may have changed following an administrative overhaul, but with the game’s major sponsor, Standard Bank, opting not to renew its deal after it expired in April, CSA is still in a hole. Despite that, and the fact that suspended CEO Thabang Moroe is still being paid his salary of R356,000 per month ($19,000 approx) while his disciplinary hearing continues, there have been no pay cuts or job losses at CSA yet. If the pandemic affects the home summer, that may change.What matters most?
India are due to play three T20Is in South Africa in August, and even if the matches are pushed back as far as March 2021, the earnings from those fixtures could tide South Africa over. Should the visit not take place in this financial year, CSA could find itself in trouble. The home summer, which will see an expanded Mzansi Supitser League, is also in the back of CSA’s mind.The comeback plans
At this stage, none. South Africa has entered its eighth week of lockdown, which remains among the strictest in the world. For the first five weeks from March 26 to May 1, all outdoor activity was prohibited, but since May 1, individuals are allowed to run, cycle or walk between 6am and 9am. This may change in the coming weeks but group activity is still not permitted. That means CSA has had to cancel planned winter camps and does not have an indication of when players may return to training. CSA has indicated it will require a minimum of six weeks of practice before the players are ready for competition.Domestic matches were allowed to go on in Sri Lanka till March 16•Getty Images

Sri Lanka

By Andrew Fidel FernandoState of (non) play
The two-Test series against England and an inbound limited-overs series against South Africa have both been postponed, with Sri Lanka Cricket hoping that the England series can be rescheduled for January 2021 (the ECB is yet to confirm). With Covid-19 seemingly under control on the island, though, SLC has also asked India and Bangladesh to tour in July, so they can honour their mid-year touring commitments. Much of this depends on how the pandemic continues to play out in all three countries, and also on the easing of travel restrictions. The club-based first-class competition was also cut short by the curfew in Sri Lanka, but this is never really a major focus for SLC.How are the finances?
Modest. This is the year in which the SLC was hoping to lock in a new broadcast deal, and even before the pandemic there were hiccups, with less money offered by prospective broadcasters than the board was hoping for. Sri Lanka will be desperate that the India and England series scheduled for this year can be nailed down and confirmed as soon as possible to drive up the contract price.What matters most?
The India series, which was supposed to start in June, and featured three ODIs and three T20Is. If the SLC ingratiates itself with the national government enough – something board members are infamously fond of doing – the government may offer the board substantial support to host India, providing the medical assistance and security such a tour would require.The comeback plans
The situation in Sri Lanka is still evolving. There have been fewer than 1000 Covid-19 cases so far, and there are presently fewer than 500 active cases – a figure that’s remained relatively steady for a couple of weeks. If the country succeeds in wiping out the disease from its shores, Sri Lanka may try to market itself as a Covid-free destination, and cricket could be a part of that. SLC has already suggested to the BCCI that the IPL should be played in Sri Lanka.Jason Holder reacts in the field•Associated Press

West Indies

By Nagraj GollapudiState of (non) play
Cricket West Indies postponed the women’s ODI series against South Africa, scheduled in June, after the ICC called off the World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled for July in Sri Lanka. Also postponed was the South Africa A tour of the Caribbean. On the domestic front, in March it announced Barbados Pride as winner of the 2020 West Indies Championship title (first-class cricket) despite two rounds of the ten-round competition still to be played out.How are the finances?
Dire, as always. CWI is yet to find a host broadcaster after Sony Ten decided to not renew its media rights contract late 2019. International and domestic players are awaiting outstanding payments since January, but CWI is hamstrung due to the severe cash crunch exacerbated by the pandemic. In fact, if the England tour is postponed, CWI might even heave a sigh of relief as it can save on match fees, allowances and travel costs.What matters most?
Live cricket. That would provide content the CWI needs to secure media rights deals in various markets. Also, the player contracts expire on June 30 so the CWI desperately needs cricket to restart. And if the men’s T20 World Cup does take place in Australia this year, it will definitely boost CWI finances from the distribution money shared by the ICC for the tournament.The comeback plans
Of immediate concern for CWI is the men’s tour of England. Comprising three Tests, the series is now expected to start in July subject to UK government permission. CWI will then work on its home schedule, which includes limited-overs series against New Zealand (highly unlikely as scheduled) and a two-Test and three-match T20I tour by South Africa (starting August). Then there is the CPL, scheduled for August 19-September 26.Brendan Taylor sends the ball fine•AFP

Zimbabwe

By Firdose MoondaState of (non) play
Zimbabwe is a country where cricket is usually scarce and the pandemic has only worsened an already tough situation. Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed its 2019-20 domestic season void on May 4, which meant it did not declare winners in the first-class and one-day competitions. Their men’s national side had to postpone a a six-match home series against Ireland in April. They are due to travel to Australia for ODIs in August, which appears unlikely, and then hope to host India and Netherlands at the start of the home summer.How are the finances?
Zimbabwe Cricket is notorious for being cash-strapped and not much has changed. It is heavily reliant on ICC payments and the next one is scheduled for July, which will assist in ensuring delayed salary commitments are met. Players were paid for February at the end of April and expect to receive their March, April and May salaries in the coming months. They are also still awaiting match fees from their tour to Bangladesh earlier in the year and last year’s visit to Ireland.What matters most?
Being considered in the calendar. Zimbabwe are not part of the World Test Championship and were not eligible to play in the T20 World Cup qualifiers because the board was suspended at the time, which means they are missing out on that tournament. As a result, Zimbabwe aren’t really sure where they stand when it comes to the calendar and former captain Brendan Taylor fears they will be among the hardest hit.The comeback plans
On May 16, Zimbabwe’s lockdown was eased but also extended indefinitely, with the government to reassess the situation every two weeks. Under the new conditions, select low-risk sporting activity can resume, which includes golf and cricket. While that means the country’s cricketers can return to action, with no fixtures on the cards, it’s unlikely there will be any play for a few months but training may intensify. The players have also been roped into a nationwide awareness programme and continue to train at home while Zimbabwe Cricket facilities in Harare, Bulawayo, Kwekwe and Mutare have been disinfected in preparation for the resumption of operations.

The best batting, bowling and all-round performances in series, ranked, taking into account opposition strength and the pitch conditions

Anantha Narayanan10-Oct-2020This article is about the top performers, both batsmen and bowlers, in Test series. I can already hear voices clamouring, “Come on, I can go to ESPNcricinfo’s stats section and see that Don Bradman’s 974 runs in the 1930 Ashes and Sydney Barnes’ 49 wickets in the 1913-14 South Africa series are the best batting and bowling performances in a series. What are you going to do differently?” A very valid plaint indeed. These tables can be obtained at a minute’s notice.However, I will bring context into the equation. Where was the series played, who were the opponents, how strong were the opponent bowlers and batsmen, what was the innings and match status when the players played, what was the result, what was the support available, and the like.In other words, I will bring into the equation Performance Ratings points. Just as Kusal Perera’s and Brian Lara’s unbeaten 153s were placed far ahead of Lara’s 400 in the batting ratings, it is possible that lower run and wicket aggregates could trump the colossal performances of Bradman and Barnes. In fact, I can say that the two performances referred to above are nowhere near the best ever.Let us start with the batsmen. First, a table on the best batting performances in a series – ordered by batting rating points.Anantha NarayananSteven Smith’s epochal feats in the 2019 Ashes series add up to the best ever series batting performance in the history of the game. He gathered 3427 rating points, which works out to over 800 points per Test (he missed one match with a concussion). He failed in one innings out of seven. The runs were scored when needed, and they helped Australia draw the series. In two Tests he delivered big performances in each innings, and he made excellent big fifties in the other two.Clyde Walcott’s magnificent series in 1955 against the strong Australians comes in in second position. He scored five hundreds in the series – the only batsman in history to do so, and his rating points tally was 3185. A young Mark Taylor, in only his second series, took England by storm in 1989 with an aggregate of 839 runs, with over 2850 rating points. A century, double-century and a bunch of fifties helped him achieve this remarkable feat, which gives him the fourth position. Rounding out the top five is Virat Kohli, who, after a disastrous 2014 in England, more than made up in 2018. His two priceless hundreds and consistent scores helped him gather 2805 rating points.Len Hutton’s landmark series performance in 1950-51 merits a separate paragraph. An aggregate of 533 runs in a low-scoring series, and nearly 2900 rating points, puts this performance in third place. That too in a lost series. Let us look deeper at the numbers from the series. One of the greatest bowling combinations ever (Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller, Bill Johnston), an average Pitch Quality Index of just over 40 (the lowest amongst all considered series). It is no wonder that Hutton ranks so high on the list. It also proves that the ratings basis is sound – the process does not reward wins and run aggregates undeservedly, especially when it comes to low-to-middling scores. Hutton’s 62 not out, coming in at 30 for 6, gathered over 500 rating points.The rest of the list reads like a Who’s Who of top Test batsmen. All these players have secured in excess of 2500 rating points in each case. Mohinder Amarnath deserves a special mention. After one of the greatest series by a visiting batsman, against West Indies away, he had the mortification of scoring 4, 7, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0 and 0 – and at home at that.Now on to the secondary metric of rating points per run. A high value of this indicates a tough series and a low one, a rather friendly one. Hutton had the highest value, 5.4 points per run. Allan Border in 1981 is the only other batsman to exceed 5.0. Smith’s value is rather high, 4.4. Bradman’s 1930 average is the lowest at 2.6.Why is Bradman, with his aggregate of 974 runs in 1930, only in 21st place? Well, it is time to look at some aspects of the ratings computations.1. Merely scoring runs will not guarantee ratings points. Just as the brace of 153s trumped 365 and 400, many series aggregates in the 500-600 range will get more ratings points over much higher 800-run aggregates. The main reason for this is context, which has already been covered. And the second reason is that I have made sure the ratings values are not overly linearly dependent on the scores.2. For the 49,366 innings of 10-plus runs in Test history, the correlation coefficient between runs and rating points is 0.90. That is very good correlation but not absolute dependency.3. Take three batsmen playing in a three-Test series. The first one scores two 300s, the second one, three 200s, and the third four 100s. Other things being equal, the first batsman is likely to secure 1500 rating points, the second one, 1800 points and the third batsman over 2200 points.4. Well-made small innings get a significant number of points. A tough 75 in a hard-fought team score of 200 is likely to carry more points than a 150 out of 700. However, this does not mean that all low scores will get good points. Aravinda de Silva’s 125, made coming in at 615 for 1 does not even get 200 rating points.5. The base numbers of the series mean a lot. For instance, Bradman’s 1930 series had an average Pitch Quality Index of 57, indicating a relatively batsman-dominated series. Smith’s 2019 Ashes was much more bowler-friendly, with an average PQI of 46.6. Bradman’s scores in that 1930 series against England were 131 (L), 254 (W), 334 (D) and 232 (W). Four substantial innings, but his three other innings, were 8, 1 and 14. Not necessarily good for ratings points accumulation, or for that matter, of great value to the team. Smith scored 144 and 142 (W), 92 (D), 211 and 82 (W) and 80 (L). The only other innings was one of 23. So there was almost no poor innings.Finally, scoring big innings only guarantees that the team will not lose. Not necessarily win. Of the 94 scores of 250 or more, only 45 have resulted in wins and 49, in draws. It is no wonder that Bradman accumulated 2517 rating points and Smith 3427.The ratings points are already a qualitative metric. A doubly qualitative one is the ratings points per Test. This is the ultimate measuring tool. Smith played in only four Tests in the 2019 series and averaged over 850 points per Test. That is an average of one innings fit to make the top 25 innings of all time in each Test he played in. The next batsman on this parameter is Sunil Gavaskar in the 1971 tour and he is exactly 200 points behind. The only other batsman who averages more than 600 points per Test is Walcott.Going down to two-Test series, Dimuth Karunaratne averaged 851 points per Test against South Africa in 2018. Jacques Kallis averaged 787 points against Pakistan in 2007. Ajinkya Rahane averaged 761 points against West Indies in 2019. Jimmy Adams and Brian Lara exceeded 750 points per Test in three-Test series against India in 1994 and Sri Lanka in 2001 respectively.Anantha NarayananThe list above is the table you can get in a minute from ESPNcricinfo. Bradman and Wally Hammond are the only two batsmen to score more than 900 runs in a Test series. Bradman has also topped 800 on two other occasions, while Taylor, Neil Harvey, Viv Richards, Walcott and Garry Sobers have also exceeded 800 runs in a Test series. Maybe this target is unattainable now with the number of Tests in a series coming down.However, I have provided another measure, a partly qualitative one, at the left. This is the Runs per Test value. Graham Gooch is the only batsman to exceed 250 runs per Test in this group – against India in 1990, but in a three-Test series. Richards is the other batsman to exceed 200 runs per Test. Smith crossed 190 twice. Because of six-Test series, the average drops to around 125 for some batsmen.When we come down to two-Test series, Sanath Jayasuriya averaged 285.5 against India in 1997, Hammond 281.5 against New Zealand in 1933, and Andy Flower 270 against India in a tough away series during 2000.Anantha NarayananI had prepared an additional chart ordered on Rating points per Test. I decided not to include the same. That graph would have done justice to the 2/3 Test series. Unknowingly, I have not been fair to the smaller countries which normally play 2/3 Test series. Hence I have included the same here. The graph is self-explanatory.Anantha NarayananFinally, a scatter chart to show the way the batsmen performed on the two measures – rating points and runs scored.Smith in 2019 is only in the middle on the runs-scored axis but is way up on the ratings-points axis. Bradman is way to the right on the runs axis and fairly low on the ratings-points one. Of special interest are Hutton and Border. They are way to the left on the X-axis but in the middle in the Y-axis. The diagram is, on the whole, self-explanatory.Now for some points about the bowling ratings.1. For the 29,876 wicket-capturing spells in all Test cricket, the correlation coefficient is 0.96. This is very high degree of correlation, indicating a very strong relationship between wickets and rating points.2. Unlike runs, which could mean nothing, wickets matter a lot almost always. There is a clear distinction between a batsman scoring an utterly useless hundred in a score of 700 in a drawn match and a bowler taking, say, three wickets in a match with a very low PQI of 10. In the latter case, invariably the team wins.3. The bowling rating scores, on average, are higher than for batting, since the total points are shared by fewer bowlers.4. Finally, taking, say, eight wickets, not only increases the chances of a result but also the chances that it is a win. Of the 97 eight-wicket performances, 63 have resulted in wins, 12 in draws, and 22 in losses.In summary, this is a recognition of the century-old saying that bowlers win matches.Anantha NarayananJim Laker’s colossal collection of 46 wickets in that mesmerising series against Australia in 1956 walks away with the best-bowling-performance laurels. It came against an Australia team that was not poor by any means – Colin McDonald, Neal Harvey, Keith Miller, Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson and Ray Lindwall formed a tough group of players. It was a bowling-centric series, where the average Pitch Quality Index was around 42. Laker’s wicket hauls were 10, 9, 6, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3 and 2.Next comes one of the greatest bowling performances by any bowler in Asia. When Imran Khan took 40 wickets against India in 1983, he set standards unequalled before or after. He gathered 4354 rating points because he dismissed many top-order batsmen. The fewest wickets he took in any innings in the series was two. He had four five-wicket hauls.In third place is Terry Alderman, whose twin golden series in England represent, arguably, two of the greatest bowling performances in that country. This particular entry is for the latter one – in the 1989 series. The 41 wickets he took gave him 4278 rating points. Alderman too dismissed many top-order batsmen. His two Ashes performances, eight years apart, were magnificent landmarks. However, his 1989 performance, though it was lower by one wicket than the 1981 one, earns 10% more rating points because Australia won 4-0 in 1989, as against losing 1-3 in 1981; the bowling average was 17 in 1989, against 21 in the earlier series; and Alderman dismissed 33 top-order batsmen in 1989 as compared to 26 in 1981.In fourth place lies Clarrie Grimmett’s farewell series performance of 44 wickets in 1936 against South Africa. South Africa were not a great team in those days, but the huge number of wickets helped Grimmett gather in excess of 4200 rating points. Let us not forget that he was past 40 at that time.In fifth place is Maurice Tate’s 38 wickets on his first visit to Australia, in 1924-25. Bradman was still practising at home in Bowral then, but this Australian team was quite a strong one, and Tate’s aggregate was well over 4000 rating points.In sixth place is Barnes’ haul of 49 wickets in four Tests against South Africa in 1914. However, it is clear that the South Africa team was a sub-par one, and this accounts for Barnes’ rating-points tally being only 4063.On the ratings-points-per-Test measure, Barnes deservedly leads, having earned his 4000-plus points in that series from only four Tests. He is the only player to exceed 1000 points per Test in this group. Laker, Grimmett and Tate accumulated over 800 points per Test.Moving to two-and-three-Test series, Saqlain Mushtaq averaged 1077 points per Test against India in 1999. Muttiah Muralitharan earned 1061 points per Test against South Africa in 2006. Richard Hadlee and Rangana Herath averaged either side of 1050 points per Test, in three-Test series, against Australia in 1985 and Australia in 2016 respectively. These four, along with Barnes, are the only bowlers to go past 1000 points per Test.Harbhajan Singh (2001 versus Australia), Nathan Lyon (2017 versus Bangladesh) and Mohammad Asif (2006 versus Sri Lanka) narrowly miss out.Considering that it was played in Pakistan, the opposition was a strong Indian team, and that the series was a batsman-dominated one (average Pitch Quality Index of 60), I would venture to say that Khan’s performance was the best ever in a series. The other bowlers in contention bowled in bowler-friendly conditions and/or against weaker opposition.Anantha NarayananBarnes leads the list of top wicket-takers, with 49 wickets in the series against South Africa in 1914. The fact that it was against rather ordinary opposition does not lower the greatness of the performance. Laker, Grimmett, Alderman (twice), Rodney Hogg, Shane Warne and Khan took 40 or more wickets in a series.When we come to wickets per Test, Barnes leads again, with over 12. In a three-Test series against South Africa in 1896, George Lohmann averaged 11.67 WpT. Laker is the only other bowler to exceed 9 WpT.Going down to two-or-three-Test series, a host of bowlers have WpT figures of 10 or more. Possibly the most impressive is Hadlee, who averaged 11 WpT against Australia in 1985. Muralitharan averaged 11 WpT in a two-Test series and 10 WpT in a three-Test series. Singh averaged 10.67 WpT against Australia in 2001. Abdul Qadir averaged 10 WpT against England in 1987.Anantha NarayananAnd just as for the batsmen, the above graph lists the bowlers with the highest ratings points per Test.Anantha NarayananFinally, the composite chart, plotting the wickets versus the bowling rating points. Quite different to its counterpart for batting. If I draw a line across, from (30, 3000) to (50, 4500), only one of the top series performers, Barnes, is clearly to the right of the line. That indicates that he gathered fairly average points per wicket – below 100. Many of the bowlers in the left and top have a value of over 100 on this parameter. Two aspects stand out. Barring Khan, no bowler from the subcontinent is in this elite collection. And Barnes, Alderman and Warne have two performances each.Anantha NarayananThe selection criteria for the allrounders list is that the player should have secured a minimum of 1000 rating points in each of the two aspects, batting and bowling. This is to ensure that true allrounders are selected.Ian Botham picked up 34 wickets and scored 399 runs in that roller coaster of an Ashes series in 1981. These numbers, individually, would be enough for a player to be considered as having done well either as a batsman or bowler. Botham was off-colour in the first two Tests, when he was the captain. Then he contributed with both bat and ball in the next four Tests – 50, 149 not out and 118, accompanied by 6 for 95, 5 for 11, 3 for 28, 6 for 125 and 4 for 128. All these were match-winning or match-saving performances.Aubrey Faulkner was a magnificent allrounder, not often talked about but very effective all the same. He was at his best against England in 1910, scoring 545 runs and taking 29 wickets. His key contributions were 78, 123, 47, 76, 44, 49 not out and 99. The bowling contributions were 5 for 120, 3 for 40, 6 for 87, 4 for 89 and a brace of three-wicket hauls. South Africa defeated a strong England side 3-2 mainly because of Faulkner’s exploits.Andrew Flintoff’s performances during the Ashes series of 2005 were reminiscent of Botham’s two and a half decades before. He made 402 runs and took 24 wickets; that England carved out a narrow 2-1 win in one of the greatest ever Test series was because of Flintoff. Scores of 68, 73, 46, 102 and 72 were supported by bowling spells of 3 for 52, 4 for 79, 4 for 71 and 5 for 78.George Giffen, with 34 wickets and 475 runs is fourth on the table. This performance was in the lost Ashes series of 1895. Garry Sobers had a batting-dominated series in 1966 against England. He took 20 wickets but scored 722 runs. West Indies won the Test series comfortably.Sobers appears three more times and Botham twice more on this list. The last two entries are two modern greats – Shakib Al Hassan and Daniel Vettori – both in two-Test series.Finally, a summary. Which three players are on top?Steven Smith: Arguably the greatest of modern Test batsmen, and again arguably, the greatest batsman born after 1910. Where will he end his career? No one can bet against a 65 average and a clear second position to the Don.Jim Laker: One of the most effective spinners of all time. Normally excluded when talks veer around to Warne and Murali. However, no one can deny the impact of the numbers at a time when the frequency of Tests was quite low – 193 wickets at 21.25, well below a typical spinner’s bowler’s average.Ian Botham: Inarguably, the most charismatic of allrounders. He was the original. A true match-winner in both aspects of the game.

The allrounder is now very clear on what his role is for Australia after plenty of time chatting with captain Aaron Finch

Daniel Brettig17-Sep-2020Melbourne’s lockdown, in the cause of stemming the Covid-19 pandemic, has taken much away from a previously vibrant city. One thing it has gifted Australian cricket, however, is clarity about the role Glenn Maxwell is playing for the ODI team, a little more than a year after the absence of same contributed to a deeply disappointing World Cup campaign.It has been demonstrated in devastatingly effective fashion for Australia on the road against the world champions, inflicting England’s first ODI series loss at home since 2015. In games one and three in Manchester, Maxwell produced a pair of counter-attacking innings from No. 7 that left Eoin Morgan’s side without a riposte, and at the same time confirmed that yes, Maxwell does have a highly significant and consistent part to play for Australia over the next four years to the 2023 World Cup in India.In partnership with Alex Carey, who also shored up his flagging international fortunes since a productive World Cup, Maxwell unleashed a century of power but also presence of mind, demonstrating a level of peace and self-knowledge that had appeared absent from his game for much of the preceding few years. It was the product of careful consideration with limited-overs captain Aaron Finch.ALSO READ: Bursting of England’s bubble shows how long the road to 2023 will be
Shorn of scheduled series against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and West Indies, plus the postponement of the T20 World Cup, Australia’s Melbourne-based cricketers have had little else to do other than talk a lot between small-scale net sessions in Cricket Victoria’s Junction Oval base. For Maxwell and Finch, that meant hours to discuss exactly how the leader saw the role of his longtime friend and international team-mate.Shuffled up and down the batting order ad nauseum, dropped and recalled, and also having taken a break for mental health reasons early last season, Maxwell was clearly in need of some simple instruction. As the many conversations rolled on, the desired description emerged – not unlike that traditionally assigned to a wicketkeeper. From No. 7, Maxwell would be able to counterattack when Australia were in a hole, while Finch reserved the right to promote him in the order if those above him were able to set the right launchpad for the final 20 or so overs.”The really good thing is even in the lockdown period I was training with Finchy and we were able to talk about my role and certain things,” Maxwell said. “I just had so much clarity of what he expected of me in that role.”I think I was able to take the game on, with the clarity he gave me before the tournament, and was able to ride on that momentum as well. Just knowing I had the backing of him is awesome. He’s been great for this group over here, he’s kept us all together, all 21 of us in the hub here, and he’s done a great job. Whether in the field or with his batters, he’s been outstanding.”Finch had likewise articulated a specific, consistent role for Maxwell in his comments at the post-series presentation: “Maxi is in the team to do a specific role and that’s be able to take the game away from oppositions when you are having a good day but also be that guy who can counterattack and try and swing momentum. England had all the momentum at 5 for 70-odd and he dragged it back.”That partnership with Alex was fantastic, I’m really proud of both of them, they deserve a lot of success and a lot of credit. Not just for this win but how hard they’ve been working on their game.”What makes him [Maxwell] so damaging is he can play all around the ground, I don’t think there are many bowlers who can trouble him when he’s having one of those days but the way he navigated that innings, took it deeper and deeper, of course you have to take your chances chasing seven an over from a long way out and he did that perfectly. They fed off each other having the left-right hand combination, it was pretty special.”