Recently, we released our year by year rankings of the players in International T20 games based on the Win Probability Added (WPA) statistic, which can be accessed on the T20 player ranking page. You can also see the win probability graphs of all the games on the T20 page.
The ICC also maintains a ranking of the players, so the obvious question is why we need another ranking? Here is why:
1. WPA is a statistic that combines both the batting as well as the bowling performances of the player into one single number – we do not need separate numbers or formula for computing the batting/bowling/all round statistic. On other other hand, if you are only concerned with the batting or bowling rank of the player, that is also simple to get: simply click on the appropriate header of the table on the player ranking page.
2. WPA takes into account the context of player performance. As we have argued before, not all runs created are equal, and neither are all wickets taken equal. The real value of a run or a wicket depends on the particular state of the game. WPA is an attempt to take into account that context. On the other hand, ICC player rankings are based on absolute performances and do not take into account the context.
Which is the right approach for ranking players? Neither of them. One can argue both for and against either of the two systems. Both have their advantages and drawbacks. It is up to you to decide which one appeals more to you.
There are some similarities in the two rankings. In batting, the top 5 batsmen in the ICC rankings are also there in the top 10 in WPA rankings. Eoin Morgan comes out with flying colors in terms of WPA as well, ranking third in 2011 and first in 2010. In bowling, though, there are some significant differences in list of top players. While Mendis and Ajmal, two top ranked players in the ICC rankings, are also in top 6 in WPA ranking, the next three bowlers in the ICC list appear way down in the WPA list. Swann, who is fourth in the ICC list, in fact ends up with a negative WPA score (which means that his performance was below average in contextual terms).
In the next few days, we will release more T20 player statistics and a host of new features on the website, so stay tuned!