ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Former leg-spin great Abdul Qadir has asked International Cricket Council (ICC) to revise its ranking system as the existing criteria was flawed one.
“The current ranking system makes no sense. It is unfair to many performing sides. I’ve been against this faulty system right from the start and now I once again propose the ICC to correct it,” he said while talking to the state-run news agency on Thursday.
Qadir insisted to make the ranking system more transparent instead of giving rankings points on series to series basis. The performance of a team should be judged on yearly performance, he opined.
“The standing of a team in Tests, ODIs and T20s should be based on its performance throughout a year. Similarly, rankings of players should also be based on the same criteria,” he said.
Pakistan moved to number one in the Test rankings for the first time in August, this year and Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq received the mace last month in Lahore. But they enjoyed the top spot only briefly as India reclaimed the spot during their recent home Test series against New Zealand. Pakistan are now at number two in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Team.
“It ridicules that one team remains at the top only for a brief period. Similarly; it also makes no sense that one day one player is at the top, while on the second day that position is occupied by another player. It is totally incomprehensible,” Qadir added.
To a question he said Pakistan were hot favourite in the three-match Test series against West Indies that kicked off Thursday in UAE.
“There is a huge difference between the two teams. Pakistan have a strong batting lineup. In bowling too they are a far better side. The way West Indies played during the T20 and ODI series against Pakistan I’m sure they are going to suffer in Tests too,” he added.
Qadir said he had never seen such a weak West Indies team in his entire life adding that the current outfit was a pale reflection of a strong West Indies team of his days.
“They (West Indies) have always been a formidable side. They taught the world how to bat and bowl. But when I see their current team playing poorly it saddens me a lot,” he said.
