The end of Australian dominance and a flawed ranking system in Test cricket provide the ICC with a perfect opportunity to introduce the World Championship

To repeat one of my old Maths master's cornier sayings: "It's as clear as mud." In the case of the merry mathematician he was referring to my algebraic calculations while I'm talking about the ranking of the top cricket nations.

When Pakistan finally turned the tables and defeated Australia at the 14th attempt and Sri Lanka "Muralied" India in Galle, the already murky waters were muddied even further.

There are now five teams, all of whom are flawed but at any moment can produce a performance that portrays them as potential World Test champions.

Following a period of about 25 years where first the West Indies then Australia were truly dominant sides in world cricket, this is a welcome change. When it comes to competitiveness in cricket, it seems that flawed is preferable to flawless.

When South Africa engineered a magnificent away from home win over a gradually declining Australia, the Proteas appeared set to become the next force in world cricket.

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