Steven Smith is the best average factor since 2010 January 1

Since the start of 2010, the average for a batsman in Tests at home is 34.9 while outside home it comes down to 29.4. Based on this, by equating the players? averages at home, outside the home and their overall averages, Steven Smith tops the list with an average factor of 1.753 which is a value of his every run irrespective of home or away. The remaining three players had similar factors only to be separated by decimals. In fact, Smith?s average outside home of 53.95 is higher than Kohli, Root and Williamson?s career batting averages.

Smith, Kohli, Williamson, Root and others in Test cricket since 2010

The hottest debate among the cricketing circles at the moment is regarding the best batsman in the Test cricket among the current generation. Some like to pick out the best based on the batting averages, few look towards player?s conversion rates of the 50s to 100s and big centuries while some others consider player?s performances at home and outside home. The debates got spiced up with Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, who are considered to be the best in the world among the lot, are in the action as captains of their respective teams at the moment.

Smith and Root are part of the Ashes series while Kohli leading India against Sri Lanka. Williamson will be on the field this week when New Zealand takes on West Indies. With the Ashes series lasting till January and India touring South Africa, the discussions regarding the best batters of this generation might peak up. Ahead of these, CricTracker brings a statistical comparison of the batsmen since January 2010 considering their home and away records, conversion rates and batting averages.

Leading Run Scorer in ODI since 1st January 2015

There is no doubt that David Warner is a destructive batsman; however despite making his ODI debut 3 years before his Test debut, he was never the accomplished ODI opener and was more successful at test level. That is quite ironic given his style of play, but his record shows how he excelled in tests and never really did as well in ODIs in the initial part of his career. In 42 ODIs since the start of 2015, Warner has amassed over 2,000 runs at a phenomenal average of 58.6. He smashed 10 centuries during this period and 6 half centuries. Warner is averaging almost double of what he did in his first 5 years of ODIs, in ODIs over the past 2 years. He has taken his ODI average from 31.4 at the end of 2014 to just over 43. His turnaround has been so awesome that he is the leading run scorer in all ODIs played in the past two years, since 1st January 2015. No one has scored more runs or more centuries in ODIs than Warner has in the past two years; and only AB de Villiers has a higher average and strike rate than he does.

Steve Waugh led one of the most iconic Australian sides ever

Australia and England are bitter rivals and the former can hold the fact that they have registered 26 more wins despite playing almost 200 Tests less against the latter. The Windies have enjoyed both incredible highs and bitter lows and even though their total of 165 wins is the third highest in history, they would feel that they should have had more.There is great news for Indian fans as they hold the edge over Pakistan 138 ? 130 but Pakistani fans can take heart from the fact that they have played 100 Tests less than India but have nearly registered the same number of wins.

New Zealand cricket fans have had plenty to cheer about, but they also hold the record for lowest innings score

It is unfortunate to highlight the lowest innings score as it almost makes for comical reading. At the same time, it is a tribute to the bowlers who deserve as much credit as the batsmen when their records are highlighted. The Kiwis hold the record for the lowest score of all time when they managed just 26 against England at Auckland in 1955. South Africa have the second lowest total with 30, which they managed against England in 1896. The Proteas embarrassingly also recorded scores of 30, 35 and 36 in the early part of their Test cricket journey. India?s lowest score is an almost respectable 42 given the context, when they were outclassed by the English at Lords in 1974.

Leading Averages of the Next Test Generatiuon

Soon after England secured the Ashes to seal their decade long dominance over Australia at home, they were met with some more positive news. Joe Root was the new world number 1 ranked test batsman, overtaking AB De Villiers. Root has been magnificent for England in both limited overs and tests since his debut about two and a half years ago. So much so, that he is now not only England's most reliable batsman but among the best in the world. We have seen a number of great batsmen in test cricket. Each decade has provided us with some of the game's greats like Border, Gavaskar, Miandad, and Richards in the 80s; Waugh, Sachin, Lara, and Inzamam in the 90s, Ponting, Dravid, Sangakkara, and Kallis during the first decade of the new century; and also Younis Khan, De Villiers, Amla, Clarke, Cook, and KP over the past decade. Similarly, the past 5 years has seen the rise of a new generation of batsmen. Like Joe Root for England, there have been a few others who have emerged to become their team's most reliable batsmen in the recent few years. There has been Virat Kohli for India, Steven Smith for Australia, Azhar Ali for Pakistan, Kane Williamson for New Zealand, and Angelo Matthews for Sri Lanka.

IPL 2018: Steve Smith more successful as captain than Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni? Check big stat surprises

IPL 2018: The stage is all set for auctions for the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League. On Tuesday, Boards of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the dates for the auction. The set dates are January 27 and 28 next year and the venue is Bengaluru. So as per the common myth, former Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni is believed to be the most successful captain in the T20 league. However, in reality, Rising Pune Supergiants captain and ?Don Bradman? of the 21st century Steve Smith has a better win rate than that of even Dhoni. Smith tops the table with 16 wins in 24 games at a win rate of 66.67 percent. Second to Smith is Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma. He has 45 wins in 75 games at a win percentage of 60 percent. Interestingly, third is on the list is the legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar?s has 30 wins from 51 games at a percentage of 58.82. Virat Kohli is not even on list! Dhoni finds a place on the fifth spot behind Australian Cameron White. On one hand, where White has seven wins from 12 games at a rate of 58.33 percent, on the other hand, Dhoni has 83 wins from 143 games at 58.04 percent. This year?s auction will see teams having an increased budget of Rs 80 crore from previous Rs 66 crore. In all five players can be retained by a franchise, which includes two Right to Match cards.

Here?s Smith vs Kohli?s records in Tests in 2017

Virat Kohli: The Indian skipper too had a good year, scoring 1059 @ 75.64 with five tons and one fifty. Three of his five tons (including three double tons) came in wins, while the remaining two in draws. However, all his tons came in the home conditions or in the sub-continental conditions of Sri Lanka. He is the fourth highest run-getter in Tests in 2017, but averages the second best after Smith in 2017 among players with at least 1000 runs last year. Smith helps Australian regain the Ashes: In a high-voltage series against England, Smith cracked three tons and one fifty in four Tests last year. He aggregates 604 runs @ 120.80 per innings in 4 Ashes Test last year. Smith was the difference in Australia winning the Ashes series 4-0. In comparison, Kohli made three double tons against lower-ranked teams ? Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in home and sub-continental conditions. And hence, despite a record equalling Smith?s, Kohli lost out on the ?Test player of the Year? award. However, he has the consolation of bagging ICC Men?s Cricketer of the Year which is usually given to the player who bags the Test player of the year award.

England were ?curious? about potential Australia ball-tampering: Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook has revealed England?s players were ?curious? about Australia potentially engaging in ball-tampering during the recent Ashes series.Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were hit with long suspensions by Cricket Australia after they plotted to use sandpaper on the ball in their third Test with South Africa last month.The shamed trio claimed that was their first instance of ball-tampering.But the spotlight has now been put on the Ashes, with television footage since emerging of Bancroft putting sugar in his pocket.Australia?s consistent ability to get reverse swing had England?s bowlers scratching their heads during their 4-0 series defeat. Cook was part of the England side and he admitted on Tuesday that there were questions among his squad about the third Test in Perth.Asked at a Chance to Shine event in Tunbridge Wells whether England suspected Australia of ball-tampering during the Ashes, he said: ?Yes a little bit, certainly in Perth when the outfield was wet with rain they got the ball reversing.?I didn?t see anything. We have been pretty good at managing the ball to see if we can get it to reverse swing but then there?s the thing with the quicker you bowl the ball it reverse swings more.?That was the thing in 2005, we had Simon Jones and Freddie (Andrew Flintoff) who were quicker than the Australian bowlers.?We have to be very careful, we were curious at certain moments but then we couldn?t get the ball up to 90mph where they consistently could.?Australia?s actions in Cape Town were widely criticised, with Smith and Warner both receiving year-long suspensions.Cook insisted that should be a timely reminder for the game to be played in the right way.?It?s not for me to comment on punishment, but the whole thing is a reminder that people want to see,? he said.

Alastair Cook fears for future of Test cricket as he closes in on Allan Border record

This will be his 13th summer as a Test cricketer and his 16th overall. He made his Championship debut the summer T20 was launched and, all being well, at Lord?s next month, he should equal Allan Border?s record for the most successive Test matches, 153. Cook remembers playing alongside the man charged with deciding whether he matches Border?s record, England?s new national selector, Ed Smith. He has been a constant as the game has changed rapidly and radically.Three days from the start of another summer, Cook is chatting and playing cricket with schoolkids as he launches the Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week with the charity Chance To Shine, which takes place from the June 18-22. "They?d been told well,? he jokes, when asked if any of them knew who he was, a nod to the ECB?s infamous nugget of marketing research that found more children recognised the wrestler John Cena than Cook. But then again, none of his 12,000 Test runs have been scored on free TV. However, the kids are in thrall of him, asking for autographs and giving him a guard of honour on arrival. ?It?s daunting,? he says of his responsibilities as a flag-bearer for a sport that constantly convinces itself that it?s in crisis. ?Those memories of sitting in assemblies. But if I?d been eight years old and an England cricketer had come to the school I?d have been, like? gawp. It?s weird being that bloke who can do it.?Cook concedes his fears for the future of long-form cricket and wonders whether his like, the long-former, will be seen again.

Dates revealed for Canberra Test between Australia and Sri Lanka

Canberra's historic cricket fixture is set to avoid a nightmare timeslot clash with the Australian Open tennis tournament when the capital hosts Australia's first February Test match in 21 years.Fairfax Media can reveal Cricket Australia is poised to announced the dates for the summer of cricket as early as Friday, with officials putting the finishing touches on the schedule.It's understood Canberra will likely take centre stage from January 31-February 4 when Australia plays against Sri Lanka in a perfectly timed match for new broadcaster Channel Seven.It will be the first time Australia has played a home Test so late in the summer since 1998 and is a bonus for Cricket Australia's $1.2 billion broadcast deal with Channel Seven and Fox Sports.Channel Seven has the rights to the Australian Open for one more year and the extended summer of Tests has caused a schedule headache for officials.The tennis has been Channel Seven's marquee event and the network will be determined to go out with a bang when the tournament finishes on January 27.The timing of Canberra's cricket content will ensure the capital gets bang for its buck in terms of national exposure when the city hosts its first international Test.Cricket Australia is still ironing out the kinks of its six-Test summer and working with its new broadcast partners to reach suitable agreements for all parties.India's governing cricket body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has thrown a spanner in the works by reportedly rejecting the proposal for a day-night fixture in Adelaide.

Shakib Al Hasan achieves magnificent T20 double of 4000 runs, 300 wickets

Only one other player has reached 4,000 runs and 300 wickets in the format. Caribbean all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, with 414 scalps to his name. He has also scored 5,582 runs. A regular in T20 matches in leagues across the world, the West Indian has 378 matches under his belt. Shakib has played 260. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL this year, Shakib crossed the 4000-run milestone against his former team Kolkata Knight Riders on Apr 14. He was only one shy of the 300-wicket mark, but could not manage it in the next two matches, lengthening his fans? wait for the celebration. On Tuesday, against the Mumbai Indians, he picked up Rohit Sharma?s wicket as the batsman was caught by Shikhar Dhwan while trying to drive through cover. Pakistan?s Shahid Afridi is the only other player to have 300 wickets and 3,000 runs in T20s. In 274 matches, the veteran allrounder has taken 300 wickets and scored 3,893 runs. Only two other bowlers have broken the 300-wicket barrier ? Mumbai Indians Bowling Mentor Lasith Malinga who has 348 wickets in 256 matches, and Sunil Narine, who has 324 wickets from 276 matches.

Was Steve Smith more deserving than Virat Kohli for ?Test Player of the Year? award?

The ICC results were announced today and Indian skipper Virat Kohli managed to bag the two top awards in Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy as Cricketer of the Year and also ODI Player of the Year award. Australian skipper Steve Smith won ?Test Player of the Year? award. But was it a deserving one and better than Virat Kohli?s performance in Test cricket in 2017? The Australian skipper cracked six tons in 11 Tests with the best score of 239 against England at Perth in 2017. He scored three tons against England at home and three against India in India in early 2017. Three of his tons yielded in a win for Australia, while two ended in a draw and one in loss. Smith averages 76.76 in 11 Tests in 2017, aggregating 1305 runs, the best by any player in the last calendar year.

Let banned trio play county cricket: Arthur

Former Australia cricket coach Mickey Arthur believes "it would be good" for shamed trio Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft to be given the chance to play county cricket this year. Smith and Warner are serving one-year bans, with Bancroft out for nine months, for their part in the ball-tampering scandal in Australia's series in South Africa last month.Bancroft was due to be Somerset's overseas player this season but his deal was terminated in the fall-out of the furore which saw him use sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball in Cape Town.But Arthur, who coached Australia between 2010 and 2013, hopes they will be given a chance to resume their career in the English domestic game."In a way I feel sorry for them," the current coach of Pakistan said. "I can understand they were really stupid, they have paid a massive price."Steve will be absolutely gutted, Bancroft is a new guy on the block and that will be really hard to swallow and Davey too ... for them to be missing the amount of cricket they are missing will be tough on them."So if the ECB allowed it, it would be good for them to carry on playing because they have paid a big price already."Although he left his position soon after, then-coach Darren Lehmann was cleared of knowing anything about the plot to tamper with the ball, a fact which raised many eyebrows.Asked whether it was unusual for a coach to be unaware of such things going on in the dressing room, he replied: "I'm not sure, I couldn't tell you what happened. I am not 100 per cent sure of the plan so I can't comment."On the scandal he added: "It was a shock to me. I was really disappointed when I saw it go down. "Australia always play their cricket really hard, they play it tough and they push the line. I just want to know where the line is and what it is."

Chris Rogers has the character Cricket Australia might be looking for but limited coaching experience

If the decision makers at Cricket Australia are true to their word of seeking a clean break from the machismo and aggressive demeanour of past iterations of the national team, they could make no greater statement to that effect than employing Rogers. They have already put some faith in his expertise. Rogers has recently been installed as a high-performance coach, geared towards youth development and long-term planning. A lack of coaching experience makes his candidacy a long shot on the scale of a Glenn Maxwell straight six, however. Only in the past two years has he started on what many see as a natural path towards top-level coaching, with work undertaken with English county championship sides Gloucestershire and Somerset. Rogers' greatest assets are his character and evidently expansive cricketing brain. Only becoming a permanent fixture in the national team late in his playing career, he was always a man apart from the boys' club of an in-your-face squad.A quiet, considered, educated man, he was ? and is ? well-liked, and respected for making the most of his talent and opportunity when it finally came.Australian cricket would be foolish to let his cricket knowledge be employed in the commentary box more than the training paddock. Though one for the future more likely than the present.But with Australia looking for a new way forward, handing the reins to a man of old-school values of respect and honest hard work might be seductive to some.