Data visualization sets the scene for 2015 Cricket World Cup

By Eshan Wickrema and Lachlan James

The preeminent championship in world cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup, burst into life on February 14th with tournament co-hosts, Australia, shaming the Old Enemy (England) in a 112 run victory in front of a raucous home crowd at a sun-bathed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

And, it’s that sort of blistering form that’s cemented Australia’s pre-tournament favouritism, with the Aussies heading into the competition atop the official ICC One Day International (ODI) rankings on 121 ratings points.

Note for the unfamiliar: If you’re a Yank, and you’re wondering what we’re on about, GO HERE >

Note: Associate teams, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Scotland, are not officially ranked

Australia have claimed the number one ranking with 121 rating points accrued across 53 games. Reigning world cup champions, India, sit second on the table, having amassed 8155 points across 71 games for 115 rating points.

For those of you playing along at home, the ICC ODI ratings are calculated by combining the total match points accumulated from all ODI wins, ties and losses over the past four years, divided by the total number of games played. Extra weighting is given to more recent encounters so that rankings can more accurately reflect current form.

About the ICC Cricket World Cup

For the uninitiated, the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup is the 11th event of its type since its inception in 1975. Held every four years, the 2015 tournament consists of 14 teams (10 Test cricket playing nations and four associate / affiliate nations) battling it out for cricket’s most prestigious prize. Of the four affiliate nations – Afghanistan, Scotland, Ireland and the UAE, Afghanistan and Ireland have been promoted for inclusion in official ODI rankings.

The six-week-long tournament consists of 42 group stage games, followed by seven finals, spread across 14 venues in Australia and New Zealand.

This year, the 14 participant teams have been split into two groups, each of which include four front-rank cricket sides, such as Australia and India, and three minnows, including the likes of Afghanistan and Ireland:

  • 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh (semi-minnow – they’re actually pretty darn good!), Afghanistan (minnow) and Scotland (minnow)
  • 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B: India, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland (minnow), Zimbabwe (minnow), UAE (minnow)

For more on the 2015 Cricket World Cup, GO HERE >

That’s stumps

Now that we’ve set the scene, stay tuned for our ongoing series of 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup data blogs. We’ll be bringing you insightful analysis and data visualizations throughout the tournament.

Don’t you just love cricket!?