The omission of Sachin Tendulkar from a list of rankings has triggered controversy in the cricket circle. The ICC had employed statistician David Kendix for coming up with a system that quantified performances. But now, it has found itself in the midst of a media storm.

But ICC has to make two things clear. First, these rankings are not new, but are at least five years old. Why did ICC brought it out at this time when Matthew Hayden, who is in the Top 20, decided to quit from cricket. The timing of this ranking seems suspicious. And another question is regarding the merit. The rankings do not aim to assess a player’s overall career. It makes it

clear that the rankings do not say that Hayden’s presence in the Top 20 mean he is a better player than Tendulkar. Then what is the meaning of these rankings.

The ICC rankings just give an indication of how players peaked during their careers. But it fails to give a full picture of those players’ level of consistency or longevity in the game. Even ICC authorities admit that.

The rankings just are a measurement of the peaks in a player’s career. ICC explains that it does not mean he should necessarily be considered better than a player who hovered around the 850-point mark for his entire career. When the likes of Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Wally Hammond and Greg Chappell do not make the cut, all it means is that they did not have as purple a patch as those in the top 20.

ICC themselves put it that the ‘best-ever ratings’ are effectively snapshots of greatness. While judging a player’s greatness over his career, his entire graph will have to be looked at.

If Tendulkar fails to figure out in the Top 20, it’s doesn’t mean that he is a bad player. After all no one can take away 28,851 international runs and 83 centuries.

Tags : Cricket, ICC, ranking, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden, century, runs, Wally Hammond, Greg Chappell

The top brass of ICC met at Capetown in South Africa on December 7 and 8 to discuss a range of issues relating to the playing and the business of cricket. The issues will be considered by the ICC Board in their next meet in Perth at the end of January.
The meeting discussed the current FTP due to conclude in May 2012. The concept of an alternative structure to bilateral tours, including the possibility of an enhanced Test championship, was further discussed at length by the CEC.

A general discussion on the issue of Test cricket was held, including the need to find ways in which this format of the game can be protected and promoted. The CEC agreed that the ICC should come up with a separate anti-racism code to run independent from the ICC Code of Conduct, which will be drawn up after receiving written comments and suggestions from Members. Members of the CEC called for stronger action against the teams bowling too slowly in Tests and ODIs. The ICC management will now make regulations regarding this.

There was also strong feeling among CEC members on the need for a stronger stance against players guilty of verbal abuse. The CEC has put forward a recommendation to the ICC Board to expand the role of the ACSU (Anti-Corruption Unit) including liaising and managing safety, security and terrorism intelligence matters with independent security consultants/agencies and advising the ICC Chief Executive and Board on all matters relating to safety and security.

All Full Members and the top six Associate Members who attended the meeting have agreed to have in place WADA-compliant codes by 1 July 2009. The CEC was not seen in favour of the inclusion of cricket in the programme for the Commonwealth Games 2014 to take place in Glasgow. It also has agreed to the recommendation made by the ICC Development Committee regarding the appointment of one of the CEC members to sit on the committee. The Governance Review Committee will consider this proposal and will recommend the ICC Board for its final approval.

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