Waugh calls for one-day rankings system

Australia captain Steve Waugh on Monday called upon the International Cricket Council to introduce a World championship rankings system for limited-overs matches similar to the ICC Test championship.

The Test championship, which starts on May 1, will rank all 10 Test-playing nations as they play home and away matches against each other within a five-year period.

The rankings will be updated after each series victory around the world and the trophy will be handed on from one country to the next when a nation loses the top spot.

Australia won the limited-overs series 3-2 against India last week. Australia are World Cup champions in the one-day arena and won a world record 16 consecutive Tests before losing two matches to India as the home side claimed the series 2-1.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN, ASKS WAUGH

"We won 3-2 in the subcontinent which is a great achievement, yet what does it really mean? It doesn't contribute to any points system," Waugh told reporters at Sydney airport on Monday.

"There is a World Cup, but there should be something in the meantime for one-day cricket as well."

Waugh said it was difficult for the players to motivate themselves for every single one-day international match.

"It is hard, but that's our job and we do that. We'd like some incentive at the end of a couple of years," he said.

"To say you've won 50 games out of 70, you are the number one-ranked side in the world and the World champion at one-day cricket.

"I think the World Cup can still be separate to that, but it would be nice to be recognised for all the hard work you do on tours and the amount of games you play and have something at the end of it."

Waugh said he hadn't really discussed the issue with the Australian Cricket Board, which in turn would need to raise it at ICC level.

The 35-year-old Australian captain added that he would have no trouble staying keen for Australia's Ashes defence in the five-Test series which starts in England on July 5.

"It's still probably the number one series for an Australian cricketer to make, so there won't be any problem getting motivated for that series," he said.

"Every time we come up against England, they look very good on paper. This time I think they have obviously got a bit more than that," Waugh added.

Mail Cricket Editor