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Rankings are not fair and never accurate: Boycott

December 10, 2009 15:27 IST

Geoffrey BoycottFor a side which has just been crowned World number one in Test cricket, it is ridiculous that India would be playing just two matches in the longer format in the next 11 months, feels former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott.

"I read somewhere that in the next 11 months or so India play only about two-odd Tests. How ridiculous is that? How can you judge India's performance over the next 11 months? You can judge them over the past few months - they have played very well and I have no problem with them being number one," Boycott said.

He said the ICC ranking system should not be considered accurate unless all the Test playing nations play each other home and away equal number of times.

"It (ranking system) can never be taken literally or accurately. Doesn't matter which country is at the top, because there is no fair way at the moment of all the countries playing each other the same number of times. So don't get sucked into believing that the ranking holds true for whoever is number one," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator feels the top Test playing nations, including India, play each other more often only to make more money.

"Top sides want to play each other because they want to make more money out of it. India, England, Australia and South Africa are going to play each other more than they do some of the other lesser nations," Boycott told Cricinfo.

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