Analysis of performance at the 2007 Cricket World Cup

Abstract

In this paper we apply the methodology of Barr and Kantor (Barr & Kantor, 2003) to evaluate the batting and bowling performances of the cricketers in the 2007 cricket world cup. The earlier Barr and Kantor paper developed criteria for evaluating the performance of batsmen and hinted at the extension of the methodology to bowling performances as well; here we extend the methodology to bowling in a parallel way and analyse both the batting and bowling performances of the participants in the 2007 Cricket World Cup and provide a ranking of performance for a set of given risk tolerance levels. The paper then goes on to select a World cricket team based on this analysis. The methodology provides some insights into the extraordinary dominance of the Australian team in this tournament in both batting and bowling and provides some pointers as to how teams might hope to match the Australians in the future, at least strategically. The analysis implies that to match the Australians in the batting department, batsmen would have to first accept a higher risk of dismissal in return for a faster scoring rate and to match them in the bowling department they would have to accept a higher risk of conceding more runs in return for improved chances of taking wickets.