As most of us know (or perhaps don't), that the ICC Rankings Came into existence in June 2003 (as that is the last period from which ICC Rankings Start). ICC Rankings are a continuously running Championship. The International Cricket Council awards a trophy, the ICC Test Championship mace, to the team holding the highest rating. The mace is transferred whenever a new team moves to the top of the rating list.
So far the following teams have held the #1 Test Championship -
However there have been great teams before Jun 2003 too. So had the ICC Rankings existed, back then, which all sides would have held the ICC Test Ranking Top Spot and thereby the Test Championship and for how long.
This table I found looks back Jan 1952, and worked out a Table of all the past would be champions Test Cricket missed out on, simply because the ICC Rankings didn't exist. Had the Test Rankings existed back then, the following teams would have been #1, and it also mentions how long their reign at the top would have lasted -
I can ofcourse not say how accurate this table is or the guys calculations. However if we assume this to be true, it does present quite a picture.
If this is correct, in total to the present day, the following teams would have held the Test Championship for the following no. of months -
Australia - 321 months
West Indies - 235 months
England - 106 months
India - 45 months
South Africa - 42 months
Pakistan - 2 months
So far the following teams have held the #1 Test Championship -
However there have been great teams before Jun 2003 too. So had the ICC Rankings existed, back then, which all sides would have held the ICC Test Ranking Top Spot and thereby the Test Championship and for how long.
This table I found looks back Jan 1952, and worked out a Table of all the past would be champions Test Cricket missed out on, simply because the ICC Rankings didn't exist. Had the Test Rankings existed back then, the following teams would have been #1, and it also mentions how long their reign at the top would have lasted -
I can ofcourse not say how accurate this table is or the guys calculations. However if we assume this to be true, it does present quite a picture.
If this is correct, in total to the present day, the following teams would have held the Test Championship for the following no. of months -
Australia - 321 months
West Indies - 235 months
England - 106 months
India - 45 months
South Africa - 42 months
Pakistan - 2 months