Former England captain lashed out at the International Cricket Council’s ranking system and said that England and Nez Zealand do not deserve to be the second and the fourth-ranked Test teams.
“I will be dead honest about the ICC rankings. I think they are absolute garbage,” Vaughan was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I have no idea how – New Zealand have won plenty of series over the course of the last two years – but for them to be second, and where it stands out for me that the rankings can’t be right is that England in Test match cricket are third (now fourth), and England for three or four years have struggled in Test match cricket, particularly overseas,” he added.
The 45-year-old emphasised on the fact that England have been struggling in the longest format and somehow managed to draw the Ashes at home earlier this year. The Three Lions also found it hard against much-weaker Ireland side in the one-off Test before the Ashes.
“They (England) have won series at home. They have only just drawn the Ashes in English conditions, they only just beat Ireland. I think the rankings are a little bit confusing. I certainly don’t, in my opinion, have New Zealand as the second-best Test match nation in the world. I think, particularly over here in Australia, Australia are a far better Test match team,” Vaughan said.
“I think there are two teams — India and Australia, they are the best Test match teams in the world, without question. I think there is only one team that can come here and put Australia under pressure, that was 12 months ago, that they won here, India,” he said.
In the latest ICC Test rankings released on Monday, India still hold the prime spot with 120 rating points and are followed by New Zealand (112) and South Africa (102). England and Australia sit at fourth and fifth respectively with 102 points.
As far as the ICC World Test Championship is concerned, India sit comfortably at the top with 360 points, while Australia follow them at a distant second with 216 points. However, based on the win percentage ratio and the points won out of points contested percentage, England and New Zealand sit at third and fourth with 56 and 60 points respectively.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka hold the fifth and sixth spots respectively with 80 points.