Top 10 Cricket Teams

There are several sports and games played around the world that aid in the healthy development of our bodies while also serving as a recreational pastime. Cricket is a simple game performed between two groups of 11 players with the basic core equipment of bat and ball at hand. Cricket is classified as a 'club ball' game, which involves hitting the ball with a hand-held device. According to cricket historian Harry Altham, club ball games are divided into three categories:

1. The hockey group
2. The golfing club
3. The cricketing team

Origin of Cricket

Cricket is considered to have started as a children's pastime in the south-eastern regions of England during the medieval era. As a result, we can assume that it originated in England in the 16th century and that it became England's national sport two centuries later. But still, its origins are unknown, and several theories have been presented to explain where it comes from. To identify its history, extensive investigations and studies have been performed, with various stories emerging. Cricket was first documented in 1550 when it was played by students at the Royal Grammar School (England). In 1611 two youngsters from Sussex were reportedly reprimanded for not attending church and instead of playing cricket.

During the 18th century, however, many alterations to the game occurred. It wasn't till 1760 that the technique of 'bowling' a ball was adopted. As a result, the initial bat design, which was structured more like a hockey stick, had to be changed. The British Empire also aided in the game's international spread, with the first international cricket match between the United States and Canada taking place in 1844. Today, the game continues to adapt while remaining faithful to its historical roots, with the most recent important shift being the rise in popularity of a new style of limited-overs cricket known as Twenty20. Cricket has a devoted fan base in modern times. The International Cricket Council, founded in 1909, is the world's regulatory body for cricket. The ICC is responsible for drafting and enforcing the laws governing Twenty20, One-Day Internationals, and Test Cricket.

How is cricket played?

Cricket is a sport in which two 11-player teams will play against one another. One team bats and score runs, while the other bowls and fields the ball to keep the opponents from scoring. In essence, it is a one-on-one battle in which an individual batter has to achieve as many runs as feasible against the adversary team and so competes against an individual bowler who has fielders to assist him. Essentially, the batsman's job is to keep the ball from hitting the wicket by smashing the ball away. So, when a ball is hit, both batsmen must sprint from their own wickets to the other to score a run, and this is how short cricket is played.

The game of cricket starts with its announcement when the captains of both sides toss the coin and decides who must go for batting and fielding first before the game. There are several cricket grounds across the world where matches are played, and most of them are in the shape of an oval auditorium, with the pitch in the center and a rectangular border secured by various types of fences, barriers, and ropes. A wooden target called the wicket is also set on each end of the rectangular ground, about 20 meters apart. A wicket is made up of stumps and bails that are joined together. The bails are positioned horizontally on the stumps, which are three in number, and stand vertically straight. Every game of cricket is divided into innings, and the number of overs available to each team is chosen before the contest. While in an inning, one side strikes while the other tries to field the ball. Batting and fielding duties are alternated by both teams.

Top 10 cricket teams

Each year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) ranks all international cricket teams competing in various events on the basis of their performances, the number of matches played, and points scored earned. So, let's look at the top 10 cricket teams of all time since we've learned a few basics about the game. They are as follows:

1. Indian National Cricket Team

The Parsis population in Bombay was essential in cricket's development, and it was they who created the 'Oriental Cricket Club' in 1848, according to Indian cricket history. This club is also credited with being India's first cricket club. Their clubs are frequently supported by wealthy members of their class, such as Tatas and Wadias. In 1932, India played England and so entered the arena of Test Cricket; C.K. Nayudu was the first test captain in Indian history at the time. Different Tests and ODI matches are now played by various players in modern cricket.

As is the case in every country for properly managing a sport, the BCCI administers all things related to cricket in India and is also a full member of the ICC at the world level. India has international cricket teams for both men and women. At the international level, the Indian men's squad is known as 'Men in Blue.' The BCCI, India's primary regulatory organization, regulates cricket in the country, and India is a part of the International Cricket Council as well. It is one of the world's wealthiest sports organizations. To choose cricketers for the team, the BCCI uses a zonal selection policy, with one selector from each of the five zones and one of the members appointed by the BCCI as Chairman of the selection committee. This has prompted a controversy about whether or not these selectors are biased in favor of their respective zones. In addition, in the current situation, Chetan Sharma has been appointed as the new chairperson of the selection committee.

History of Indian Cricket

The Indian cricket team waited 20 years for their first Test victory, which came in 1952 when they defeated England in Madras and went on to win their first Test series against Pakistan.

India was regarded as one of the lesser sides in world cricket throughout its first fifty years, having won only 35 of the first 196 Test matches.

Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath, all-rounder Kapil Dev, and the Indian spin quintet of Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, and Bishan Singh Bedi all contributed to the team's strength in the 1970s. Despite this, India was still regarded as a strong squad at home but a weak team elsewhere. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, they have improved their international form, particularly in limited-overs cricket, winning Test matches in Australia, England, and South Africa.

Performance at ICC World Cups

India had a poor record in the initial two World Cups (1975, 1979), but they defied the odds in the 1983 edition when they defeated the West Indies, who had won the first two World Cups.

Under the guidance of Kapil Dev, India won the first world cup in 1983 by defeating the West Indies by 49 runs. India advanced to the semi-finals of the 1987 World Cup but lost to England in the final.

Despite having some great batters like Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin, India's following three world cups (1992, 1996, and 1999) were a disappointment, as they were unable to reach the finals.

The Indian squad had to drop Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, and Nikhil Chopra as a result of the match-fixing controversy that happened in 2000. Saurav Ganguly was made the new captain.

India qualified for the 2003 World Cup under Ganguly's captaincy and advanced to the finals, where they were defeated by Australia by 120 runs. Despite the defeat, Team India's performance was praised, particularly the contributions of young talents such as Virendra Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Zaheer Khan, and Harbhajan Singh, among others.

The following world cup, in 2007, was India's most forgettable, as they were knocked out in the first round. Many blamed India's poor performance at the 2007 World Cup on coach Greg Chappell. Despite his stellar record as an opener, his decision to drop Sachin Tendulkar to number four was considered as a huge shift in the team's balance.

Under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India stormed back to win the World Cup the next year (2011). They made history by becoming the first squad to win the revered trophy on their own turf. A great mix of young and experienced players in the side ensured their successful run in the tournament - aside from a charming skipper in MS Dhoni, widely recognized for his street-smart abilities, the team profited from the expertise of Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag at the top, Gautam Gambhir and a youthful Virat Kohli in the middle. Yuvraj Singh, who batted at number four, figured prominently in the team's victory. Being a bowler and fielder, he also had a fantastic tournament. Dhoni, who had a streak of low totals till the semi-finals, showed off his batting brilliance in the final match against Sri Lanka at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium, scoring an unbeaten 92.

The Indian team was the frontrunner to defend their World Cup title at the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Until the quarterfinals, they had not lost a single match. However, they were defeated in the semi-finals by Australia, which went on to win the World Cup for the fifth time in a row.

Cricket is India's most popular sport, and its players are among the most well-known in the world. India has played 1712 international games so far, winning 779 and losing 655. The Indian team has a win percentage of 45.5. In the years 1983 and 2011, India won the ICC Cricket World Cup both times. In addition, India won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup for the first time in 2007 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and 2013. Again in the opening of the world test championship of 2019-2021 held by ICC, India finished second under the captainship of Virat Kohli. Following Virat Kohli's departure from the position of captain, Rohit Sharma has been appointed as the current captain, with Rahul Dravid as the head coach. According to the most recent ICC Rankings for 2022, India's current status is as follows:

ICC Test Rank- 02

ICC ODI Rank- 04

ICC T20 Rank- 01

2. New Zealand National Cricket Team

Next on our list is the New Zealand cricket team (Black Caps) which is handled by the New Zealand Cricket Association for all cricket-related matters. This team is also a member of the ICC for all levels of cricket, including T20I, ODI, and Test.

New Zealand played its first cricket Test match against England in Christchurch in 1930, becoming the fifth country to do so. The Kiwis overcame the West Indies at Eden Park in Auckland in 1956, but it took them more than 26 years to win their first Test match of the squad while Gary Stead was the head coach. The New Zealand National Cricket Team has long been regarded as an underdog. New Zealand has had, and they also contested against Pakistan in their first ODI (1972-73). They also won the ICC Champions Trophy later on.

Kane Williamson is the current captain, and a great deal of success under Kane Williamson's leadership includes winning the maiden ICC World Test Championship.

In 1945-46, New Zealand hosted the Australian cricket team; however, the squad had not yet been given Test status by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which was granted retroactively in March 1948. The players, on the other hand, did not like the movie, as the Black Caps were thrashed for only 42 and 54 runs in both innings. Because the New Zealand Cricket Council declined to pay Australian sportsmen a suitable payment for traveling to New Zealand, this was the sole Test contested between 1929 and 1972.

Over the years, the New Zealand side has been noted for their explosive batters and all-rounders. The Black Caps have had some excellent batters, like Stephen Fleming, as well as some true pacers who can easily reach 145 km/h. Richard Hadlee and Shane Bond were among those who easily reached 145 km/h. Richard Hadlee was a 17-year veteran of the New Zealand cricket team, during which time he amassed 158 wickets at an average of 21.56.

Martin Crowe is the first name that springs to mind when thinking of New Zealand's batting stars. He was a 13-year veteran with a 38.55 batting average and 4,704 runs batted in. Later, when the structure and style of cricket evolved dramatically in the twentieth century, New Zealand developed some big-hitting wicket keepers like Brendon McCullum and Lou Vincent, who were famed for ripping bowlers apart and smashing them all over the field.

In the first two ICC Cricket World Cups (1975, 1979), the New Zealand men's cricket team had a solid record, reaching the semi-finals both times. Kiwis were defeated in the round-robin stage of the 1983 and 1987 World Cups. New Zealand was also knocked in the semi-finals of every World Cup since 1992, including 1999, 2007, and 2011. Despite their efforts, the Black Caps made it to the World Cup finals in 2015 but were eliminated by the Australians.

New Zealand and Australia jointly organized the 2015 World Cup, and it was incredible for the spectators to see New Zealand knock South Africa in the semi-finals following years of repeated new-Zealand eliminations in the semi-finals. Only Grant Elliot, a well-known batsman, was at the platform when they required 14 runs in seven balls. But luck was on their side; when Elliot misjudged a pull shot, JP Duminy and Behradin of South Africa made a hash of it, thus handing New Zealand a final spot on a silver platter. They were dismissed for 183 in the last match, though, after failing to outclass the Australians.

New Zealand overcame India in the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup but was unable to win the trophy when the game ended in a Super Over stalemate. Because England has a higher boundary percentage than the Kiwis, it was declared the winner.

In total, out of the 1388 international games played, the team has won 540, lost 621, tied 15, drawn 168, and had no conclusion in 44 of them. In international cricket, New Zealand has a win rate of 38.9%. New Zealand's current standing, according to the most recent ICC Rankings for 2022, is as follows:

ICC Test Rank- 03

ICC ODI Rank- 01

ICC T20 Rank- 04

3. Pakistan Cricket Team

When contests or sports are played between two politically opposing countries, the spectators are enthralled. As a result, when we discuss this, the subject of the Pakistan-India match comes up. The Pakistan cricket team, which is governed and maintained by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), also known as Shaheens in Urdu, is one of the top ten rated teams in the ICC. This Pakistani squad, like others, is a complete member of the International Cricket Council at all levels. Pakistan was granted Test status on July 28, 1952, following India's request. In October 1952, they played India in their first-ever Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla venue in New Delhi. However, they were defeated by one innings in their debut test match, losing by 70 runs. To go back in time, Pakistan played cricket for India before independence in 1947, and some of their most famous cricketers who participated in them are Amir Elahi, Gul Mohammad, and others. Babar Azam is the current captain of the ODI and T20I formats, and Saqlain Mushtaq is the head coach of Pakistan's national cricket team in all formats.

The Pakistan cricket team has played the most T20I matches. They won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 and finished second in the inaugural edition in 2007, which was won by India. Not only that, but the Pakistani team endeavored hard to win the ICC championship trophy for the first time in 2017 by defeating India.

Pakistan had a poor show in the 1975 ICC World Cup, which was held for the first time. Pakistan finished fifth in the eight-team competition, with one victory and two losses. Pakistan, on the other hand, upgraded its performance in the next three seasons (1979, 1983, 1987), reaching the semi-finals but failing to advance further. Pakistan won their first major title in the limited-overs format under the captaincy of all-rounder Imran Khan in the 1992 World Cup, in which players such as Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and others all played a crucial part in Pakistan's success. After being pulled for nine by Graham Gooch, Imran Khan performed a captain's performance in the final series of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992, hitting a match-winning 72.

Pakistan reached the quarterfinals of the 1996 World Cup and came in second place in the 1999 World Cup. England, the Netherlands, and Scotland jointly organized the 1999 World Cup. However, in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, Pakistan's cricket squad was defeated in the first round. Pakistan went into its semi-finals in the next world cup (2011). However, India interrupted their journey with a 29-run victory in Mohali. In the world cup of 2015, which was jointly organized by Australia and the country New Zealand, Pakistan again managed to reach its quarterfinals. In fact, the team rose to the status of 'Big Gun' owing to the fact they defeated India in the 2017 Champions Trophy of ICC in England.

The Pakistan National Cricket Team has played 1566 international games, winning 752 and losing 615. There have been 12 ties, 162 draws, and 25 no-result matches. The Men in Green have 48.02% as their win percentage.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 1992, the ICC T20 World Cup 2009, and the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 are the significant accomplishments of the Pakistan National Cricket Team in International Cricket Council (ICC) competitions. They also became the 4th team to win the ICC Test Championship in 2016. According to the most recent ICC Rankings for 2022, Pakistan's current position is as follows:

ICC Test Rank- 06

ICC ODI Rank- 06

ICC T20 Rank- 03

4. Sri Lanka Cricket Team

The British colonized the island and introduced cricket, with the first recorded match taking place in 1832, according to 'The Colombo Journal'. The Ceylon national cricket team was created in the 1880s, and by the 1920s, they were performing first-class cricket. In 1965, the International Cricket Council granted the Ceylon national cricket team Associate Member status. In 1972, the country was given its current name, Sri Lanka.

Today, in men's international cricket, Sri Lanka's National Men's Cricket Team, known as The Lions, represents the country. It is also a permanent member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). In 1982, the team was granted Test status, making it the eighth Test cricket-playing nation in the world. Sri Lanka Cricket is in charge of the team. Under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka's national cricket team rose from underdog status to win the Cricket World Cup in 1996. The striking of Aravinda de Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan, as well as the throwing of Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Kulasekara, and many more brilliant players, has been instrumental in Sri Lankan cricket's success during the last two decades. Sri Lanka won the ICC Champions Trophy (co-champions with India) in 2002 and the ICC T20 World Cup in 2014. They also finished second in two World Cups in a row in 2007 and 2011.

Sri Lankan cricketers possess many world records, including the highest team total in Test cricket.

In total, the Sri Lankan Lions have played 1317 international matches, winning 557 and losing 622. Sri Lankan matches resulted in 91 draws, 7 ties, and 40 no-result matches. The current position of the Sri Lankan Team as per the latest 2022 ICC Ranking is as follows:

ICC Test Rank- 07

ICC ODI Rank- 08

ICC T20 Rank- 10

5. Bangladesh Cricket Team

The Bangladesh Cricket Board manages the Bangladesh cricket team, often known as the Tigers (BCB). It also belongs to the International Cricket Council as a complete member (ICC). Previously Bangladesh joined the International Cricket Council as an Associate Member in 1977. On March 31, 1986, the Bangladesh national cricket team played their first One-Day International (ODI) match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

Bangladesh became a permanent member of the ICC on June 26, 2000, after defeating Pakistan in a league match during the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup. However, after becoming a full member of the ICC, the squad had a particularly bad run, with 21 consecutive Test losses between 2000 and 2002. They also have a dubious record in One-Day Internationals, having lost 23 consecutive matches between 2001 and 2004. Bangladesh did not win an ODI match until 2004 when they defeated Zimbabwe. When Bangladesh won their first Test match in 2005, Zimbabwe was once again on the losing end. The Tigers went on to win the Test series, even though the only other match was a tie.

The Bangladesh Cricket Team does not have many well-known players or notable accomplishments, but they have a warrior spirit and have challenged huge teams such as England, New Zealand, and Australia on multiple occasions.

The squad completed a successful trip to the West Indies in 2009, winning both ties in a two-match series. This was their first victory in a Test series played outside of their home country.

Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy in Malaysia in 1997, qualifying for the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup, which England hosted. They made a fantastic World Cup debut, and their victory over Pakistan helped them acquire full ICC membership. Bangladesh placed 13th out of 14 participating teams in the 2003 World Cup, failing to win any of its matches.

The 2007 World Cup, on the other hand, marked a turning point in Bangladesh cricket. India was shocked to lose in the group stage, a significant setback that saw the latter eliminated from the tournament. Bangladesh progressed to the Super Eight stage but was unable to continue.

While they were eliminated from the 2011 cricket World Cup during the league round, they advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2015 competition. They put up a valiant effort to beat England and advance to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. Bangladesh qualified for the 2019 World Cup without having to play a qualification because they were higher in the ICC ODI rankings than the Windies. Bangladesh, captained by Mashrafe Mortaza, looks primed to put up a strong fight in the 2019 World Cup and even cause a few upsets against favorites England, South Africa, Australia, and India, based on their constant performance since the 2015 World Cup.

Currently, Bangladesh Men's team has Mominul Haque as the Test Captain, Tamim Iqbal as One Day captain, Mahmudullah as T20I captain, and Russell Domingo as their coach. Bangladesh's current ICC 2022 cricket rankings are as follows:

ICC Test Rank- 09

ICC ODI Rank- 07

ICC T20 Rank- 09

6. England Cricket Team

In international cricket, the England cricket team covers England and Wales. Since 1997, it has been overseen by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), after being governed by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1903.

The ECB is also in charge of generating revenue from ticket sales, sponsorship, and media rights, particularly for the England team.

England is a permanent member of the International Cricket Council, having been a founding member since its inception. England has played 1,048 Test matches as of March 2022, winning 378 and losing 316 (with 354 draws). England has also played 760 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), having won 383 of them. They've made four appearances in the Cricket World Cup final and won one of them in 2019. In addition, they finished second in the ICC champions trophy in 2004 and 2013. The English cricket team has a win percentage of 42.95 in international cricket. The latest ranking of England as per ICC 2022 Cricket rankings are:

ICC Test Rank- 05

ICC ODI Rank- 02

ICC T20 Rank- 02

7. West Indies Cricket Team

The West Indies cricket team is a multi-nation team that represents the Anglophone Caribbean region and is governed by Cricket West Indies. The players for this combined team are drawn from fifteen Caribbean territories that are comprised of several governments and dependencies. The team's regulatory body, Cricket West Indies, is made up of six separate cricket associations.

The West Indies cricket team was comfortably the best in the world, winning all Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. Sir Garfield Sobers, Lloyd, Malcolm, and Michael Holding are just a few of the West Indian cricketers who are considered the best of all time.

The ICC Cricket World Cup has been won twice by the West Indies (1975 and 1979). In one World Cup, they came in second place (1983). The West Indies hosted both the Cricket World Cup in 2007 and the ICC World Twenty20 in 2010. In addition, the squad has won the ICC World Twenty20 two times in 2012 and 2016, the ICC Champions Trophy first in 2004, and the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup once in 2016. Overall, the West Indies cricket team, sometimes known as the Men in Maroon, has contested 1550 games, won 649, lost 671, and the drawing 177 and 39 games have no outcome of them.

The latest ranking of the West Indies Cricket Team as per ICC 2022 Cricket rankings are:

ICC Test Rank- 08

ICC ODI Rank- 09

ICC T20 Rank- 07

8. Australia Cricket Team

The National Cricket team of Australia is among the earliest test cricket teams globally. They played their first Test match against England in 1877, their first One-Day International (ODI) against England in 1970-71, and their first T20 International (T20I) against New Zealand in 2004-05.

Australia has won the most Test, and One-Day International matches in cricket history. They have played 932 ODIs, winning 566, losing 323, and tying nine; 34 matches have ended in a draw. When Australia beat India by 34 runs in the opening ODI of their series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 12, 2019, it became their 1,000th win in an international match. Australia has also achieved the ICC Champions Trophy two times (in 2006 and 2009), marking them the very first team in Champions Trophy ever to do so.

So far, the Australian national team has played 116 T20 International matches, winning 60, losing 52, and tying two; two matches have ended in a draw. They also advanced to the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 final, when they were defeated by England. However, based on the facts accessible, Australia seems to be the only team to have featured in seven of the World Cup Tournament and to have contested four of them back-to-back in a row (1975, 1987, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015), and having won five of them (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015). They're also the only team in history to win three World Cups in a row (1999, 2003, and 2007).

The Australian team had a 34-game World Cup winning streak at one point. This run came to an end on March 19, 2011, as Pakistan defeated them by four wickets. Apart from India, Australia is the only other country to have won a World Cup on their home turf (2015). This was accomplished by India in 2011.

Allan Border captained Australia to their first World Cup victory in 1987. With Steve Waugh as captain in 1999, they won their second World Cup. Ricky Pointing has guided the team to two victories, in 2003 and 2007, and they again won in 2015 when Michael Clarke was the captain.

Playing History

In 1877, the Australian cricket team played in the MCG's first Test match, defeating an English side by 45 runs. The Sporting Times, a leading London newspaper at the time, published a parody obituary pronouncing the demise of English cricket and proclaiming that "the body was cremated and the ashes were sent to Australia" after this match. This marked the beginning of the historic Ashes series, in which Australia and England compete in a series of Test matches to determine who will be the next holder of the Ashes. The rivalry is still one of the most ferocious in sports today.

Around the turn of the century and the start of the twentieth century, the Australian cricket team ruled Test cricket. In 1912, Australia went eight years without playing a series owing to World War I.

The Australian Cricket Team tasted a new era of glory with the arrival of Sir Donald Bradman. The team, which was largely regarded as unbeatable, went on to win nine of their next ten Tests. From 1930 to 1948, Bradman was the undisputed king of the sport. With a batting average of 99.94, he holds the record for the greatest Test batting average. If he hadn't been knocked for a duck in his final Test, he would have achieved an average of almost 100 runs per innings. In 1949, he was honored for his contributions to cricket. In the 1950s, they had less success, losing three Ashes series in a row to England, including the disastrous 1956 Tour of England. In the second half of the 1950s, however, the club rebounded to win five straight series. The Centenary Test was held at the MCG in March 1977 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Test match. The match ended in a 45-run victory for Australia, which was the same score as the first-ever Test match.

Australia had its most prosperous decade in the 1990s and early 2000s. They won every series they played over this time except one (2005), and they won a hat-trick of World Cups.

For a long time, the Australian National Cricket Team has been a strong force in the cricketing globe. The Australians have played 1950 international games, winning 1058 and losing 629. There were 13 ties, 213 draws, and 37 no-result matches for the Australian team. They also have a 54.25 percent winning percentage.

Apart from their 5 World Cup wins, they have recently added another World Cup trophy to their collection after thrashing New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021.

The latest ranking of the Australian Cricket Team as per ICC 2022 Cricket rankings are:

ICC Test Rank- 01

ICC ODI Rank- 03

ICC T20 Rank- 06

9. South Africa National Cricket Team

The Proteas, or South African cricket team, is another squad that ranks among the top 10 national teams. South Africa's cricket squad is known as the Proteas after its national flower, the King Protea. This country's cricket team is managed by 'Cricket South Africa,' and the team is also a complete member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). South Africa was not widely perceived as a competitor to England or Australia. However, as time went on and they gained more knowledge and expertise in the field of cricket, they began to form competitive teams during the first part of the twentieth century. The team continued to play regularly against Australia and England, as well as New Zealand, till the 1960s, when the ICC, following other sports organizations throughout the world, issued a ban due to the country's Apartheid policy, which sought to divide whites from non-whites. Because of the then-racist government's policies, an international resistance movement arose. However, it was unfortunate that when the ban was placed, South Africa's national cricket team had progressed to the point of being a great squad, consisting of brilliant players such as Mike Procter and Eddie Barlow, who had demonstrated their best skills and had defeated the Australian side.

Finally, the embargo was lifted in 1991, and the South African squad was permitted to play against teams such as India and the West Indies. The squad has largely remained a dominant one since its restoration, with multiple occasions holding the top spot in international rankings. They have, however, underperformed in key tournaments like the World Cup.

Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, and Hashim Amla have been among the most outstanding South African cricketers since the team's comeback. With lofty goals and ambitions, South Africa was also allowed to compete in the World Cup in 1992, the year after the ban was lifted, and they were granted international recognition as a cricket team. They enjoyed a great start in the 1992 World Cup as well, reaching the semi-finals in that year's competition. However, due to a weather delay, their campaign came to an unexpected end as they lost to England in the semi-finals.

In the 1996 World Cup, the South African cricket side made it to the quarterfinals before being defeated by the West Indies. In practically every prospective world cup, the South African cricket team loses after putting in a lot of effort, as they did in the 1999 World Cup when they fell to Australia. Then, in 2003, they were eliminated from the World Cup due to rain, resulting in a Duckworth-Lewis draw with Sri Lanka. They advanced to the World Cup semi-finals in 2007 but were knocked out for 149 runs after failing to bring up a strong score, and Australia easily fulfilled the target. After losing to New- Zealand in the quarterfinals in 2011 and the semis in 2015, South Africa was knocked out of both the 2011 and 2015 cricket world cups. However, the Proteas have only won one ICC tournament, the Champions Trophy, in 1998. They've contested 1233 international games in total, winning 647, losing 434, tying 7, drawing 124, and 21 games ending in a draw.

The latest ranking of the South African Cricket Team as per ICC 2022 Cricket rankings are:

ICC Test Rank- 04

ICC ODI Rank- 05

ICC T20 Rank- 05

10. Afghanistan National Cricket Team

Afghanistan's national cricket team is the ICC's 12th Test-playing full member nation. Cricket has been played in Afghanistan since the mid-nineteenth century, although the national team has only recently earned some international success. In 1995, the Afghanistan Cricket Board was formed to oversee the country's cricket fields, much like every other country's cricket disciplines are managed by some sort of association. Later in 2001, this board became an official participant of ICC.

Afghanistan was given full ICC membership in June 2017. They were the first affiliate member nation to ever participate in a significant ICC international cricket competition, having held affiliate ICC membership from 2001 until 2013. Afghanistan has the global record for the greatest ever T20 score of 278-3, which they achieved against Ireland in Dehradun on February 23, 2019. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Asghar Afghan, and Rashid Khan are three of Afghanistan's most well-known players in all versions of the game.

Performance at World Cups

Afghanistan played their first World Cup match in 2015, losing by 105 runs to Bangladesh at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, Australia. Afghanistan's cricket team also played against some of the top cricketing nations in the world, including India, England, and Australia.

Afghanistan won their first match in the World cup by defeating Scotland on February 26, 2015. The team, on the other hand, lost all of its remaining games and was eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

History of Afghanistan Cricket

Cricket grew popular among Afghan immigrants in Pakistan in the 1990s, and the Afghanistan Cricket Board was established in 1995. Cricket, like all sports, was formerly outlawed by the Taliban, but in 2000, the Taliban allowed it as an exception. The next year, the Afghanistan Cricket Federation has approved as an ICC-associated member.

Afghanistan did not qualify for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, although they were granted one-day international status for the next four years. After defeating Scotland previously in the competition, they played their first ODI facing Scotland in the fifth-place playoff.

Afghanistan faced Ireland in their maiden Twenty20 International on February 1, 2010, and lost by 5 wickets. Afghanistan qualified for the 2010 ICC World T20 in the West Indies by defeating the United Arab Emirates by 4 wickets on February 13, 2010. Later that day, they won the 2010 ICC World T20 Qualifier final by 8 wickets over Ireland. In August 2012, Afghanistan played Australia Cricket Team at a single One-Day International (ODI) match in Sharjah.

Afghanistan played its first complete series against a full member in Zimbabwe in July 2014. The four-match One-Day International series finished in a 2-2 deadlock. In October, the squad returned to Zimbabwe for the second time and won a memorable one-day international series, defeating Zimbabwe by 73 runs in Bulawayo to win the series 3-2.

Later on, three one-day internationals were played in Bangladesh by the Afghanistan cricket team in September and October 2016, which was also their first full and bilateral series against a Test-playing country apart from Zimbabwe. In January and February 2017, the squad returned to Zimbabwe and clinched the ODI series 3-2.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) granted Afghanistan full Test status on June 22, 2017. In late 2018, the team played their maiden Test against India but were severely trounced. In the third one-day international of the three ODI series in Doha held in January 2022, Afghanistan completed a series sweep over the Netherlands, bolstering their campaign to qualify for the 2023 World Cup. Afghanistan took a 3-0 lead in the series. Afghanistan's 75-run victory was their sixth in as many games, moving them up to fifth place in the 13-team 2023 World Cup Super League table.

In a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in February 2022, Afghanistan was trounced in two ODIs and had to lose the series, but the squad won the third match to avoid further shame. While in a two-match T20I series held in March 2022 in Dhaka, Afghanistan managed to beat Bangladesh in the second Twenty20 international, tying the two-match series at 1-1.

Currently, Hashmatullah Shahidi heads the ODI and Test team as the captain, while Mohammad Nabi is the captain of the T20I team of the Afghanistan Cricket Team.

The latest ranking of the Afghanistan Cricket Team as per ICC 2022 Cricket rankings are:

ICC ODI Rank- 10

ICC T20 Rank- 08