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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Bleak times for Pakistan and West Indies in Tests Pakistan's rating of 928 is their lowest since 1970. And on a trajectory towards their lowest ever West Indies are just 0.7 above their recent low in 2005. The previous time it was that low? Their first test in 1929 (arguably, never)

Rating Form Matches Adjusted
1 Australia 1264.4 -31.4 11.0 1232.9
2 India 1227.1 -3.6 12.3 1223.6
3 South Africa 1197.7 61.4 7.0 1259.1
4 New Zealand 1156.9 55.8 10.3 1212.7
5 England 1119.1 -3.8 17.4 1115.3
6 Sri Lanka 970.9 13.5 8.9 984.4
7 Pakistan 931.7 -18.9 11.8 912.8
8 West Indies 825.3 -21.0 11.8 804.3
9 Bangladesh 764.5 24.2 11.5 788.7
10 Afghanistan 582.6 -80.0 2.4 502.6
11 Ireland 514.6 -57.8 3.0 456.8
12 Zimbabwe 481.6 11.0 6.3 492.6

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Rating wonkery: but at 77 runs behind Bangladesh need 23 runs to beat their expected margin. Which because of the way the ratings protection works makes a (small) 10 point difference to both teams ratings.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I want to reflect how wild it is that Pakistan could be considered a poor team, or even a mediocre team, given their history. Per the ratings, this is the first time they have been below average (1000) for 12 months since they first got over that line in 1973.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Per the ratings, this is only the second biggest upset in Test history, though only barely. All away matches. BAN v NZ 21/22 (8 wick) (expected: 328 runs) BAN v AUS 2026 (9 wick) (327 runs) ENG v WI 89/90 (9 wick) (304 runs) WI v AUS 23/24 (8 runs) (279 runs) WI v AUS 30/31 (30 runs) (271 runs)

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Slightly belated update to the test ratings in advance of Australia v Bangladesh. This is the closest the top four has been in some time, especially accounting for form. Bangladesh also have the chance to catch the West Indies if (when?) they over-perform the expected margin of a 327 run loss

Rating Form Matches
Australia 1280.6 -30.2 10.0
India 1225.8 -9.2 10.3
South Africa 1197.7 61.4 7.0
New Zealand 1156.9 55.8 10.3
England 1110.2 -29.4 14.4
Sri Lanka 970.1 28.4 6.9
Pakistan 958.3 -12.0 8.8
West Indies 825.3 -21.0 11.8
Bangladesh 750.9 21.0 10.5
Afghanistan 582.6 -80.0 2.4
Ireland 514.6 -57.8 3.0
Zimbabwe 481.6 11.0 6.3

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Interesting to read this piece on Chinese women's cricket and reflect on where they were and where they are. It reads like Chinese cricket is on the up, but at best they are undergoing a renewal without any results to show for it. www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/m...

theguardian.com

The Spin | Going for gold? Why China’s female cricketers may benefit from Olympic aim

The Cricket Research Network was told how the sport is perceived in China and why the women’s side is seen as the national team

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

As the NBA tank-a-thon gathers pace, it is interesting to watch how the remedies become increasingly complex, and decreasingly disconnected from the problem. www.nytimes.com/athletic/705... What follows is a long thread, that will try and get at the problem, and suggest a solution.

nytimes.com

Adam Silver tells teams NBA plans to make anti-tanking rule changes

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

End of year ratings following the Boxing Day Test. Australia end the year as the number one side, with South Africa the big mover up from 1080 at the beginning of the year

Rating Form Matches
Australia 1298.8 -14.0 17.1
India 1220.7 -25.8 18.7
South Africa 1197.7 61.4 13.9
England 1128.0 6.3 21.9
New Zealand 1109.1 22.7 12.6
Pakistan 992.9 -21.4 9.6
Sri Lanka 951.8 6.4 9.9
West Indies 845.1 -12.3 15.6
Bangladesh 732.0 2.9 12.9
Afghanistan 616.5 -49.0 2.9
Ireland 536.6 -55.0 3.9
Zimbabwe 469.9 -16.5 10.6

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Updated Test Rankings. South Africa surging after the big wins in India. Australia was expected to beat England by 132 runs and did slightly better. Noting injuries England are still closer than the ratings would indicate.

Rating Form Matches
Australia 1298.5 3.9 14.1
India 1218.0 -26.3 18.7
South Africa 1197.0 62.0 13.9
England 1125.2 -14.1 18.9
New Zealand 1091.8 16.5 9.6
Pakistan 991.9 -20.2 9.6
Sri Lanka 945.3 7.1 9.9
West Indies 857.4 0.1 12.6
Bangladesh 722.1 3.5 12.9
Afghanistan 622.0 -48.6 2.9
Ireland 538.3 -54.4 3.9
Zimbabwe 474.0 -16.0 10.6

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Listening to Bertus is always a good use of your time. Glas to see this podcast back after a little hiatus.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

There is something terribly gauche about Cricket Australia telling other countries they can't play Test cricket and might go bankrupt if they try. This wasn't an issue thirty years ago when there was significantly less money in cricket. It is an issue entirely derived from the financial structure

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

This was a fun but very nerdy wonk chat.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Ratings following the last three tests. Zimbabwe's recent run of matches means they have the highest games played since 2005, but also, their lowest ever rating. Very little change otherwise as they matched their expected margins in the previous test: ENG by 22 (exp: 8), AUS by 176 (exp: 166)

Rating Form Matches
Australia 1294.9 -4.6 13.1
India 1221.1 16.0 12.7
South Africa 1147.2 51.1 9.9
England 1139.3 -16.8 15.9
New Zealand 1083.6 -11.8 7.6
Pakistan 995.5 -24.0 7.6
Sri Lanka 945.3 7.1 9.9
West Indies 861.5 8.1 10.6
Bangladesh 713.4 -22.1 10.9
Afghanistan 643.5 -22.1 1.9
Ireland 574.9 3.2 1.9
Zimbabwe 483.3 -17.4 7.6

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Updating Test ratings following the Australia and England games. Australia still the leading team by a reasonable margin. South Africa and India with strong form indicating potential to close the gap.

Team Rating Form Matches
Australia 1294.4 -7.3 12.1
India 1222.1 24.1 11.7
England 1138.5 -24.6 14.9
South Africa 1110.2 39.9 8.9
New Zealand 1083.6 -11.8 7.6
Pakistan 995.5 -24.0 7.6
Sri Lanka 945.3 7.1 9.9
West Indies 862.0 12.4 9.6
Bangladesh 713.4 -22.1 10.9
Afghanistan 643.5 -22.1 1.9
Ireland 574.9 3.2 1.9
Zimbabwe 502.4 14.2 6.6

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Reposted by Russell Degnan

Jarrod Kimber @jarrodkimber.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

🎙️Red Inker Pod How does the ICC operate? podfollow.com/redinker

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Reposted by Russell Degnan

Adit RS @aditrs.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

Today's episode of Cricket Sickos is with Emerging Cricket co-founder @danielbeswick.bsky.social, who talks to me about the origins of the Emerging Cricket network and his role helping to grow cricket with the ICC! open.spotify.com/episode/2o1A...

open.spotify.com

Episode 19 - Rising Tide with Daniel Beswick

The Cricket Sickos Podcast · Episode

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

End of year Test Ratings before we start again. Australia on top. Teams remain very stable. NZ dropping back over the last few years is the only significant change of note, and even then it puts them back where they were in 2019.

Rating Form Matches
Australia 1283.1 15.1 4.5
India 1218.6 18.4 -16.1
England 1149.2 23.8 7.0
New Zealand 1081.2 15.1 -14.3
South Africa 1076.3 12.9 16.0
Pakistan 1014.6 12.3 11.1
Sri Lanka 963.7 13.7 15.8
West Indies 842.2 13.1 -14.2
Bangladesh 731.9 13.9 7.8
Afghanistan 641.6 2.7 -34.8
Ireland 572.6 2.8 -1.9
Zimbabwe 485.2 3.2 -15.2

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

You do wonder what the third umpire in a Blind Joel match thinks. Hanging out for the eventual hot mic dismissal of his abilities.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Ashwin's batting waned as his career progressed which meant he wasn't really a genuine all rounder. But half way through it he had a legitimate claim to having the highest wins above replacement per test of any player ever. Phenomenal record

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Reposted by Russell Degnan

Adit RS @aditrs.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

If you want something to listen to at lunch of #NZvENG (or waiting for #AUSvIND), today's Cricket Sickos is with @anththehistorian.bsky.social - we discuss his research into Britain "civilising" its colonies using cricket, and hear about his amazing cricket origins! open.spotify.com/episode/6npC...

open.spotify.com

Episode 15 - Performing empire with Anth Condon

The Cricket Sickos Podcast · Episode

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

One more catch behind the wicket for a complete set. #ausvind

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Reposted by Russell Degnan

Adit RS @aditrs.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Promo for The Cricket Sickos Podcast now lives here! It's interviews with cricket obsessives, discussing the weird and wonderful ways we love the game. Guests include @linuxlea.bsky.social and @liebcricket.com. Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5ks7hJt... Youtube: youtube.com/@aditrs7870?...

open.spotify.com

The Cricket Sickos Podcast

Podcast · Adit RS · A podcast where host Adit talks to fellow cricket sickos to talk about the weird and wonderful ways we obsess over cricket.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 03/11/2024

Adit invited me onto his podcast! It's called The Cricket Sickos Podcast as he interviews people about their cricketing life. We discuss that, associates, cricket structures and writing/commentary Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3kDGhG… Youtube: youtu.be/89f3ppFpmLA?si=qBFE1ox3QUKglg-I

youtu.be

Cricket Sickos Ep 10 Russ

YouTube video by aditrs

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 29/06/2024

I also didn't discuss the (mostly) successful staging of the World Cup in the USA, or its prospects for the future. But while doing that other thread I stumbled across what I wrote in 2012, and it is basically exactly the same. web.archive.org/web/20230930...

web.archive.org

Idle Summers - Taming cricket`s wild frontier

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 29/06/2024

As we roll into the T20 WC final, I want to reflect on the 20 team WC. A number of teams I was advocating for in 2010 (no really, it has been that long: web.archive.org/web/20230603...), and which in a way finally came to fruition.

web.archive.org

Idle Summers - The Ins and Outs of Potential World Cup Formats

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 23/06/2024

One of the nice things about NRR is that if you multiply it by the number of matches played and by 20 you get (more or less) the run differential. So, for group 2: South Africa +25 West Indies +72 England +16 USA -116

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 11/06/2024

Probabilities for each T20 World Cup group to follow. Getting good estimates of win probability is difficult because I haven't done a rating for T20 and am relying on the ICC (which is...ok, maybe) but also because the standard deviation of margin makes a significant difference on the odds of upset.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 02/06/2024

Canada's bowling is an embarrassment. Completely fell apart from a winnable position.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 16/04/2024

From an otherwise interesting article on older players. Leaving aside the inset that says BPM is a "replacement level", not "average" measurement, you'd think it would trigger that something was wrong with this when in some years *all groups* were below average. www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/a...

Set of graphs showing NBA BPM by age of players where all groups are below average in most years.

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Russell Degnan @idlesummers.bsky.social · 03/02/2024

Been a while since I updated the ratings, which have tightened at the top with Australia and India declining relative to England. India still favoured by 69 runs. Sri Lanka by 181 runs over Afghanistan.

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