Steyn Number 1, But Are the Ratings Fair?

3 days ago I asked you "How Good is Dale Steyn?"

Last evening the ICC answered that question when they released the latest international cricketer ratings after the conclusion of the West Indies - Sri Lanka test match.

Dale Steyn is the new number 1 in the test bowler ratings and he jointly leads the table with Muttiah Muralitharan; both having a rating of 897.

Steyn took only 22 matches to reach the top of the ratings, which I reckon is one of the fastest if the not the fastest time to number 1. Please share any facts and figures of bowlers who have gotten to the top of the rankings faster than Steyn.

I believe that the ICC Player Rankings uses the best ratings system around to rank players. Better than ESPN, Samsung, and all the other useless ones that have come up. But even the ICC Rankings seem to function absurdly at times.

Kumar Sangakkara's disappointing performance in the tests against the Windies pushed him down from the number 1 spot to 4 in the batsmen's ratings. Fair enough, that understandable.

But what I find absurd is that Micheal Hussey, without having played a test match for 3 months, is suddenly number 1. Is that right only because Sangakkara slipped down?

How can a player become number 1 without playing a test? Is it fair for someone to be number 1 only because others have not done well enough?

Rahul Dravid is 5th MILLIONAIRE & Ganguly almost there...

Bangalore bid successfully for Jacques Kallis for $900,000 thus putting their Icon Rahul Dravid into the millionares bracket. But Kallis and Dravid in the same 20-20 team? Not smart I think.

Shahrukh Khan and Saurav Ganguly look like men on a mission - after picking up Shoaib Akhtar, Ricky Ponting, and McCullum they added Chris Gayle to their roster for $800,000. That puts Icon Ganguly at $920,000. Kolkata is turning out to be a strong oufit.

Delhi picked up Pakistani skipper Shoaib Malik and his team mate Mohammad Asif for $500,000 and $650,000 respectively. Shahid Afridi 'Boom Boom' Afridi was bagged by Hyderabad for $675,000 while Younis Khan was auctioned to Jaipur for $225,000.

Hyderabad also picked up Herchelle Gibbs for $575,000. Gibbs joins Gilchrist, Symonds, and Afridi - thats some firepower in the Hyderabad squad.

Gibbs' opening partner Greame Smith was picked up by Jaipur for $475,000, while Chennai added to their impressive star cast of Dhoni, Hayden, Murali, and Oram with the addition of Stephen Fleming for $350,000.

Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth joined the Bangalore and Mohali bandwagons for $450,000 and $625,000 respectively.

The squads are shaping up well at the Hilton Towers. I hear that the number of people present there in the form of journalists, TV reporters, actors, cricketers, and businessmen are more than those present at the Wankhede stadium witnessing the Duleep Trophy Final.

Its clear to me which way domestic cricket is going to go in India and the rest of the world.

KALLIS Da Man

JH Kallis - the best all rounder in the game today, well ahead of anybody else - is in super form these days in cricket. After scoring quite a few centuries in South Africa's tour of Pakistan, Kallis has continued his prime form in the home series against New Zealand.

Kallis did not score in the first innings of the first test match, but in the second innings he scored 186 off just 262 in a swash-buckling innings, a very unlike Kallis innings. This should silence those critics who say he scores too slowly. The truth is that Kallis, more often than not, gets the job done with both the bat and the ball and is no doubt the best all-rounder in the game today. Kallis hit 25 4's and 3 6's scoring his century with an amazing strike rate of about 71.

In the second test match Kallis has continued his awesome form and has scored yet another century leading the home side to a score of 272/3 in reply to New Zealand's modest total of 188 in the first innings. Again Kallis scored his runs at a rapid pace seeming to play more against his critics than the New Zealand bowling attack. Kallis scored 131 off 177 deliveries at a rate of 74 runs per 100 balls. Amazing stuff from an amazing cricketer. Amla has provided the solid support in both of Kallis's centuries in the series. In this innings he is still there at 89 as him and Kallis resurrected the South African innings after they had been reduced to 31/2.

There was a time when the cricketing world was overflowing with all-rounders of the likes of Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham, Steve Waugh, Kapil Dev, etc..in today's cricketing world there are a lot of bits and pieces players but few players who can merit a place in the team for any one skill it is refreshing to have the likes of Kallis. One hopes his recent form will silence his critics as the South Africa team's balance and strength owes a lot to having a certain Kallis in their team.