New World Test Championship rating system confusing and difficult to understand: Virat Kohli

Tags: ICC Test rankings, Virat Kohli, India

Published on: Nov 27, 2020

After leading the World Test Championship for most part, Team India now find themselves at the second position owing to ICC’s decision to modify the points system. As per the new system, sides will be ranked teams “in order of percentage of points earned” from the matches they have played.

The revised ratings system has seen Australia overtake India in the rating system. While India have 360 points from 4 series, Australia have 296 points from 3 series. However, Australia’s percentage points stand at 82.22 and India’s at 75 per cent.

Understandably, Indian captain Virat Kohli wasn’t pleased with the change. According to him, the modification is confusing and difficult to comprehend.

“It is definitely surprising because we were told that points are a matter of contention for the top two teams qualifying in World Test championships and now suddenly it has become percentage out of nowhere, so it is confusing and difficult to understand why,” Kohli said during a video conference before the first ODI against Australia.

“If these things were explained to us from day one then it would have been easier to understand the reason why such a change has happened.

“But it happened out of nowhere and I think further questions need to be asked to the ICC to understand why this has been done and what are the reasons behind it,” he further added.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic many series’ have been cancelled. According to the ICC, “Just under half of the World Test Championship matches have been played, with that estimated to rise to more than 85 per cent by the end of the competition window.”

As per the old rule, incomplete matches would have been seen as draws. However, the ICC Cricket Committee, headed by Anil Kumble, came up with the percentage points suggestion.

“Both the Cricket Committee and Chief Executives Committee supported the approach of ranking teams based on completed matches and points earned as this reflects their performance and doesn’t disadvantage teams that have been unable to compete all of their matches through no fault of their own,” ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney had said about the change.

India four Tests against Australia (away) and England (home) will decide the finalists of the inaugural World Test Championship.

The summit clash will take place at Lord’s in June next year.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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