The Dale Steyn and Steve Smith mysteries

South Africa only played I think 4 tests in that period 2 were washouts in Bangladesh after a day each as well (Which is a completely different but more substantial reason to be upset.) The actual test dream team or world XI would probably contain Hashim Amla, AB and Dale Steyn with a big fight between Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson over the othe middle order spots, unless AB kept wicket and they all played

Rankings favour more recent performances over older ones, but rankings points take into account a lot more than just the last 12 months performances. So a player, while good, who has missed a lot of tests this year because of injury not being there does make sense, and a player who has burst onto the ODI scene this year and done really well, but hasn't played enough ODI's in total to get his ranking all the way up yet, also makes sense. I don't see an issue with either of those decisions.

Actually, MItch Marsh is ranked 55th for bowling. I'm not sure the ICC teams of the year mean that much apart from an egoboost for the chosen ones.

I have to say that test XI would decimate all. That team would challenge any in history in my opinion.

Actually, how is Angelo Matthews not in the test team? I would have picked him at 6 instead of Joe Root (who is a 4/5).

As is your wont...not want.

Actually Starc's in the top 100 for batting too!

The answer, David, is that rankings and Team of the year are silly because there is mathematics involved. When you link that with a calendar and unequal opposition, all you have left is guesswork. That Sunil Narine, a chucker, can be ranked #1 is proof enough to just forget all rankings.

India’s Virat Kohli is ranked 16th with 691 points, with Adam Voges the only other Australian ranked in the top 100, at 34th, with 553 points This does not compare with the ICC official. Usman, S. Marsh, J Burns and P Neville are all ranked in the top 100.

AB has only scored one test century in 2015 and averaged in the 50s. He also didn't play many tests. Younis Khan, Steve Smith and Joe Root all scored several centuries this year and averaged in the 60s, while Kane Williamson is averaging over 90 this year.

I see that Williamson (who has the most runs in international cricket this year) needs to score 469 runs before the end of December to go past Ricky Ponting's record for the most international runs in a calendar year. Williamson has 2 tests and 3 odis (all against Sri Lanka) to try to beat the record.

Oh ok, im ok with that reasoning haha. Im just glad that the rules of order that i learnt in primary school are still correct.

That's the biggest reason right there!

Rankings are rubbish? Ludicrous. This is the kind of nonsensical rubbish people through out there when the have no idea how the rankings are put together so they just bluster about how they view it differently. Both are pretty accurate. In fact the are so obviously accurate that there's no one outside those rankings that should be there and vice versa.

The teams are odd. The odi team has no allrounders apart from Tillakeratne Dilshan who is a handy part-timer. Trent Boult - a number 11, is listed to bat at 7! I would have picked Maxwell or Grant Elliot to have another bowling option in the top 6 and James Faulkner at 7. Steyn just hasn't played enough tests - he has been injured. He is like Daniel Carter who hardly played from 2012-2014 but was still arguably the best rugby player on the planet as he showed at the RWC. DC couldn't have been picked in a World XV in those years simply on past glories and proven ability if he didn't play enough games.

Hardly beyond belief. The ICC team is picked on the body of work over the previous 12 months. While it's not Steyn's fault he didn't play as much as others did, the fact remains that he only took 12 Test wickets in that period. Ashwin took 12 in one match and still couldn't get a gig.

And also because you have long since been tunnel visioned when comes to Australia David