Australia in risk of being dethroned from #1 spot

[IloveGilly]

Australia have been put on red alert that their status as one-day world champions is officially under threat this summer.

Incredibly, despite the Australian's claiming the last 3 world cups and losing just two of their last 21 ODIs, Australia are on the brink of being dethroned as the tops dogs of world cricket.

However a rampaging South African side are breathing down Australia's neck and have moved to within four ranking points.

Australia will have to make the final of the tri-series to cling onto top spot - and even that may not be enough. To guarantee that No.1 rank, Ricky Ponting's men will have to win the Commonwealth Bank Series final.

Source: The Daily Telegraph - 04/02/08

So Australia need to win a lot of their games to restrict that gap from South Africa. Smith said in his interview he has aspirations to get that #1 ranking and hold onto it, even India were talking about it. Australia lose, then obviously they'll lose points. So there's a battle for top spot now with the gap at 3 ranking points.

 

[KingCJ]

Well the Aussies better do something good then.

 

[karnog]

Interesting. However if SA lose to India in India does it mean Aus regain top spot despite losing in say the finals?

 

[DPRA]

IMO, I think South Africa have always deserved the top spot, and whenever they get close to the top spot the seem to throw it away.

However this time i hope they can get to that top spot. Proves someone else can beat the aussies aswell.

 

[icyman]

It would be tough for SA to register a win in India.At the same time,would like to see a new Cricket No.1

 

[DPRA]

It would be tough for SA to register a win in India.At the same time,would like to see a new Cricket No.1

I personally dont think it will, i have a feeling South Africa will win in India and take number 1 spot and stop the aussies from controlling the game even more..

 

[IloveGilly]

Interesting. However if SA lose to India in India does it mean Aus regain top spot despite losing in say the finals?

Well for the time being, they won 5-0 in their latest series, in their last match which brought them 1 ranking point closer. Australia are really close to losing that top spot and if they do lose it, there will be a small gap in between. But if India do manage to beat SA then Australia will probably over-take them again; accordingly to the amounts of losses Australia takes in this current series.

 

[aussie1st]

Thought we had a decent gap seeing that we haven't lost that many games in the past. Still our ODI side atm is still the WC winning 11 apart from Tait and McGrath so we should be able to win the CBS.

 

[Bravo]

india will win common wealth final

 

[sohum]

Shows the problems with the ODI championship table, in my opinion. If Australia haven't dominated ODI cricket, I don't know what they've done. They've gone unbeaten in two consecutive World Cups!

 

[Ponting_14]

I couldn not care less about those rankings. Never have, never will. I don't know why people make such a big deal of them. Like they really mean anything at the end of the day, and sohummisra's right, they need some big time fixing anyways.

 

[Skater]

I couldn not care less about those rankings. Never have, never will. I don't know why people make such a big deal of them. Like they really mean anything at the end of the day, and sohummisra's right, they need some big time fixing anyways.

Excluding its faults, the ODI rankings are the best way to tell who has the best team at this form at this very moment. The World Cup proves Australia were the best in spring 2007. By being top right now, it proves you are the best today.

 

[Ponting_14]

Excluding its faults, the ODI rankings are the best way to tell who has the best team at this form at this very moment. The World Cup proves Australia were the best in spring 2007. By being top right now, it proves you are the best today.

But do you really use them? Apart from maybe the part time cricket fan. Do any of you on here actually look at them and use it as a tool to see who's the best inform teams in the world? I wouldn't think most big time cricket fans would need these ICC lists to work it out. I'm pretty sure they could do it by themselves.

 

[zimrahil]

IMO, I think South Africa have always deserved the top spot, and whenever they get close to the top spot the seem to throw it away.

I don't - winning last two world cups unbeaten, hardly ever losing a game etc and they are only 4 points ahead of their nearest rivals :confused:

A rethink of the points allocation methinks :onpc

 

[Ponting_14]

I don't - winning last two world cups unbeaten, hardly ever losing a game etc and they are only 4 points ahead of their nearest rivals :confused:

A rethink of the points allocation methinks :onpc

We've dominated world cricket since 1999 probably like no other team has done before. But during that time it has always seamed that South Africa was always just right behind us all the time. Even though we've won a lot more then they have (by the way, I know South Africa has won a lot during that time too, I'm not saying they haven't)

I'll never get these rankings.