The International Cricket Council administrated the rankings of national cricket teams globally. They were first released in 2002. The factors that were decided to rank a team were applied retrospectively, and the rankings were calculated for each year till 1952.
A test match is eligible for ranking only if it is a part of a series that has more than two scheduled matches. A One Day International or a T20 International match has no such pre-requisites. Each team is ranked based on its performance in the last three and four years. The points earned in the first and second years of this four-year cycle carry a 50% weightage. A 100% weightage of points is given for the ones earned in the third and fourth year.
Before the match, each team has a rating. The difference in ratings between the two playing sides plays a key role in the rankings. If this difference is less than 40 points, then the winner gets 50 points more than the opponent’s ratings, whereas the loser gets 50 points less than the opponent’s ratings. In case of a tie, each team gets point equivalent to their opponent’s rating.
The scenario gets a bit complex if the gap in the ratings of the two sides is more than 40 points. A win to the stronger team results in them getting 10 additional points, and subsequently the losing side is also devoid of 10 points. A loss for the stronger team means it will lose 90 points, and the weaker side gains 90 points. If the match ends in a tie, then the stronger team loses 40 points and the weaker side has to points added to its rating.
The total number of points a team earns is divided by the number of matches it played. This is the eventual rating of a team, based on which it is ranked.
In One Day International cricket, West Indies holds the record for the highest rating (as of 2025) of 141 that it earned in 1986. Australia dominated the test cricket ratings between 2003 and 2009, during which its rating peaked to a record 143.
The ratings in T20 International were introduced in 2011, but saw an overhaul when the International Cricket Council announced T20 International status for all associate nations. Thus, the ratings for T20 Internationals are much higher than what is usually seen in the other two formats. Between 2018 and 2020, Pakistan reached a rating of 286, which is a record as of 2025.
It is notable to mention that while the calculation process is the same, year-end records and peak ratings achieved by teams in each format are poorly archived for women’s cricket teams.
