Many challengers, no leader

To repeat one of my old maths master's cornier sayings: "It's as clear as mud."

In the case of the merry mathematician, he was referring to my algebraic calculations, while I'm talking about the ranking of the top cricket nations.

When Pakistan finally turned the tables and defeated Australia at the 14th attempt and Sri Lanka "Muralied" India in Galle, the already murky waters were muddied even further. There are now five teams, all of whom are flawed but at any moment can produce a performance that portrays them as potential World Test champions.

Following a period of about 25 years where first West Indies then Australia were truly dominant sides in world cricket, this is a welcome change. When it comes to competitiveness in cricket, it seems that flawed is preferable to flawless.

When South Africa engineered a magnificent away win over a gradually declining Australia, they appeared set to become the next force in world cricket. However, that performance flattered to deceive, and since then South Africa haven't shown the consistency or killer instinct required to be even a semi-dominant side.

India floated to the top of the rankings by default, and even though they have remained at No. 1, their form doesn't suggest, other than to a misinformed computer, a stranglehold on the position. While India still have strength in batting, there has never been any indication that the bowling attack was one to be feared - unless it was by a ball boy with an aversion to fetching and throwing.

England have turned into a half-decent side. That is, they have discovered the recipe for beating Australia at home, but they are yet to prove they can do it in a hostile environment.

The Australians, while still displaying remnants of the scrapper mentality and the will to win when things get tight, have encountered problems facing the swinging ball. The batting line-up, which includes Ricky Ponting, is vulnerable, so this could spell trouble when he retires.

And finally there's Sri Lanka, the mighty mouse of world cricket. At home they are mighty and likely to beat any team, while on bouncy pitches they are prone to providing opposition as meek as a mouse confronted by a lip-licking cat. Their first effort in the post-Muttiah Muralitharan period suggests they may even have trouble exerting their influence over strong opponents at home in future.

An extended period of fluctuating fortunes among the major cricket nations is a mouth-watering scenario. That is provided the fluctuations aren't of the see-saw variety brought on by teams providing, in turn, extremely good performances followed by sub-par efforts.

Following a period of about 25 years where first the West Indies then Australia were truly dominant sides in world cricket, this is a welcome change. When it comes to competitiveness in cricket, it seems that flawed is preferable to flawless

Competitive cricket is great to watch but it's preferable that the closeness of the scores is the result of two evenly matched teams playing well rather than those producing performances not worthy of international cricket.

In the long periods when one team dominated, the game survived mainly on a group of extremely marketable stars strutting their stuff. Their numbers are dwindling fast and the retirement of Murali further reduces the bowling sector, a crucial component in the game remaining competitive.

While the passing of star players brings with it laments, the game has always had a remarkable ability to regenerate and produce a new generation of whizkids. This is why team selection is crucial to the game's continued success. The constant regeneration of a cricket team is a tricky process that requires not only bold but also bright selections.

There are worrying signs that Pakistan, despite their dysfunctional administration, is now the only country willing to select young players on a regular basis. It could also be true that Pakistan has been forced into imaginative selection because of the irrational behaviour of the administration. Whatever the reason, other countries need to be more aware of the importance of giving youth a chance at the top level.

In the meantime, while the next generation of potential stars engages in battle, the administrators have a great marketing opportunity. What better time to kick off a World Test Championship than when there are at least four serious challengers for the title? What better way to clear those murky waters than a highly entertaining and competitive on-field battle for the world crown?