Australia and Ganguly top 1999-2000 CEAT rankings

Australia with 154 points has become the CEAT International Cricket Team of the Year 1999 - 2000. This is the second time that Australia has won the coveted award. They had last won the Ceat International Cricket Team of the Year award in 1997 - 98. Last year's winners South Africa were a distant second with 101 points.

The 154 points earned by Australia were the maximum points logged by any team since the inception of the Ceat International Cricket Team of the Year award in 1996 - 97. Also the 53 points that separates Australia and South Africa is the biggest difference ever between the top two teams.

In the last three years the top two positions in the race for the Ceat International Cricket Team of the Year has been monopolised by Australia and South Africa thus confirming their reputation as the two best teams in International Cricket.

In 1999 - 2000 the World Cup triumph and the three consecutive 3 - 0 thrashing of Pakistan, India and New Zealand were amongst the most remarkable of Australia's achievements. Besides they also set a world record of 13 consecutive one-day victories. They currently have a 10 game winning streak in Tests as well.

During 1999 - 2000 Australia played 13 Tests winning 10 and losing only one. Two Tests were drawn. In the One-Day format they won 29 out of the 37 matches that they played.

The Ceat Team Ratings at the end of the Year 1999 - 2000 :

Points
COUNTRY       Test  ODI  Total
AUSTRALIA      78    76   154
SOUTH AFRICA   49    52   101
SRI LANKA      39    30    69
PAKISTAN        6    60    66
NEW ZEALAND    34    26    60
INDIA           8    44    52
WEST INDIES    14    35    49
ENGLAND        15    18    33
ZIMBABWE        0    14    14
BANGLADESH      0     4     4  1

Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has won the prestigious CEAT International Cricketer of the Year award for 1999 - 2000. He had accumulated 98 points in the CEAT Year starting from 1st May 1999 to 30th April 2000. He was closely followed by Sachin Tendulkar (India) and Chris Cairns (New Zealand) both with 95 points. This was the closest ever finish to the race to become the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year. The adjudicators are Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Chappel and Clive Lloyd.

The CEAT award carries a cash prize of Rs.5 lakhs and a trophy.

This is the second time that an Indian has become the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year. Venkatesh Prasad had won it in 1996 - 97. Brian Lara (1995 - 96), Sanath Jayasuriya (1997 - 98) and Jacques Kallis (1998 - 99) were the other recipients of the CEAT Award.

Last year's CEAT International Cricketer Jacques Kallis(South Africa) was in the 5th position with 80 points in the CEAT Year 1999 - 2000

Sourav has had a scintillating season with the bat particularly in the limited version of the game. He scored 1902 runs at an average of 47.55 scoring 6 centuries which is the most by any cricketer in One Day internationals in the CEAT Year. In Tests he scored 468 runs at an average of 33.42. He was quite exceptional with his catching taking 11 and 10 catches in Tests and One-Day internationals respectively. His utility as a bowler was proved when he took 18 wickets at an average of 34.89 in the One dayers .

The 183 he scored against Sri Lanka at Taunton in the World Cup and his leadership of India in its 3 - 2 series win over the South Africans were the high points of his performances in the CEAT year 1999 - 2000.

The Top Ten in the CEAT Cricket Ratings at the end of the Year 1999 - 2000.

Player       Country   Points
1  S Ganguly    India     98
2  S Tendulkar  India     95
2  C Cairns     NZ        95
4  A Gilchrist  Aus       84
5  J Kallis     RSA       80
6  R Ponting    Aus       76
6  G McGrath    Aus       76
6  L Klusener   RSA       76
9  R Dravid     India     75
9  M Waugh      Aus       75