Bacher - Test Championship Needed To Find World's Best Team (2 Feb 1997)

2 February 1997

Test Championship needed to find World`s Best Team - Bacher.

Colin Bryden

An official world championship of Test cricket is a "necessity", says South African cricket supremo Ali Bacher. If the International Cricket Council follow the United Cricket Board`s call, an official world championship will be in place by October. "The ICC met in June and we will urge that they address this issue urgently," said Bacher, who believes Matthew Engel`s Wisden world championship is the best formula on the table.

"There have been a number of different proposals and perhaps the ICC needs to form a committee which will include people like Bob Willis and Sir Richard Hadlee who have come up with ideas on the world championship." Bacher said he agreed with the Wisden rating which has Australia and South Africa in the top two places. "We are looking forward to an outstanding series," he said. "There are two excellent teams and in Mark Taylor and Hansie Cronje we have two very positive captains who both try to play attacking, winning cricket."

Bacher looked further ahead and said that in the next two seasons South Africa had the opportunity to cement their place among the world`s Test elite. "I rate the current Pakistan team very highly. With home and away series against both Australia and Pakistan in the next year followed by a series against the West Indies in 1998/99 we have the opportunity to measure our standard against quality opposition."

The Wisden system is based on the performances in the most recent Test series or one-off matches between countries since 1990 on a simple points system of two for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. Because not all countries have played a full round of fixtures, log placings are based on the difference between series played and points earned. An analysis of the results which make up the current Wisden log reveals that Australia and South Africa fully deserve their ranking as the top sides.

Australia`s only defeats have been in the sub-continent, 1-0 in a three-Test series in Pakistan in 1994/95 and a heavy defeat in a one-off Test against India earlier this season. The decisive Test against Pakistan could easily have gone the other way, with Pakistan`s last-wicket pair putting on 57 to pull off victory. South Africa lost their one-off comeback Test against the West Indies in 1991/92 and were not beaten again until suffering a 2-1 defeat in India this season. India bolstered by excellent results at home, are in third place but have lost away to Australia, England and South Africa. they have not played away against the west Indies during the time period but will be going to the Caribbean soon. West Indies have slipped to fourth, having lost at home and away to Australia and inconsistent Pakistan are the only other team with a plus rating.

Australia have an excellent win-loss ratio with 27 wins against 10 defeats in the 49 Tests included in the rankings series. It is notable that the Australians have played more full series than the other leading sides, all of whom have had several one-off matches or short series. South Africa have had 13 wins against seven defeats from 30 matches in their 12 series counting towards the log. India`s record is 13-9, the West Indies 14-10, and Pakistan 13-10.

Source :: Sunday Times