Crystal ball time - what will the test rankings be in three years time?

[greg]

Originally Posted by Beny

We'll kick your butts down under but it wont have anything to do with reverse swing or who's coaching. Simply put England's bowlers are less effective in our conditions, yet our bowlers prefer them.

But what happens if your old men are injured?

[Beny]

I fully expect that will be the case, however I think that the talent is now there to cover them.

[smickel]

If i had my way Australia would stay number one forever, unfortunately for me that wont happen. This is what I think the order may look like:

1. India
2. England
3. Australia
4. Pakistan

From there it is too unpredictable.

[Collyisamackem]

I still think England are improving, and will become number 1 despite the setback that has been this Pakistan tour. Once our boys have experience on the subcontinent, and in the coming Ashes series down under, I think we'll iron out many of the problems we've faced by simply not being adapted to the conditions we have been playing in away from home. Australia will remain at two, but it's likely that Langer, Hayden, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath will be gone in 3 years time, which is quite a gap to fill. I'll go for:

1. England.
2. Australia.
3. India.
4. South Africa.
5. Pakistan.
6. New Zealand.
7. Sri Lanka (Unless they work out how to win matches away from home).
8. West Indies.
9. Bangladesh.

I'm not sure whether or not Zimbabwe will have test status in 2008, so I'll leave them out for now. The situation there doesn't seem to have a promising future.

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Collyisamackem

4. South Africa.
5. Pakistan.

I'd be surprised if that was right Colly...

South Africa may have to go through that Zimbabwe thing too, in which case they are going to fall away.
And Pakistan, well it will be interesting to see how long Mr. Woolmer stays in favour there...
But if he's still there by 2008, I would expect Pakistan to have risen significantly further then most give them credit for.

There have always been many extremely talented under-achievers within their ranks... they should be above India and up with England.

Australia will still be number one.

[Vrock]

Mine is:
1)England
2)Australia
3)Pakistan
4)India
5)S.Africa
6)New Z
7)Sri Lanka
8)West Indies
9)Zimbabwe
10)Bangladesh

[Collyisamackem]

Originally Posted by Oliver

I'd be surprised if that was right Colly...

Indeed, maybe they deserve to be above SA. I wonder, though, how much longer Inzi will go on as captain and what will happen when he retires?

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

And not forgetting the saffers have got some good youngsters coming through as well.

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Oliver

South Africa may have to go through that Zimbabwe thing too.

Oh, good Lord! Ollie, I know you're not always the number one leading optimist on the board, but I really do hope you are a million miles from the truth with this one. I know that South Africa is only ten years into majority rule, and maybe at that stage things looked pretty rosy in Zimbabwe as well (can't really remember how things looked there in 1990: can anyone remind me?), but so far South Africa is doing really well in shedding its awful past while holding itself together and hopefully offering genuine opportunity for all. I attribute a lot of that to Nelson Mandela, the only African President I can think of who has voluntarily given up his presidency in accordance with the constitution of his country (everyone else I can think of has clung on for an age, either illegally or by amending the constitution through some dubious means during his term of office). I am hugely optimistic for South Africa, and I pray that it will not slip into the errors of its northern neighbour.

[Captain]

1. Australia
2. Pakistan - providing woolmer stays.
3. England
4. India
5. South Africa
6. Sri Lanka
7. Bangladesh
8. New Zealand
9. West Indies


I think Zim will be long gone.