Last Updated:
Test cricket will change once the final of the current ICC World Test Championship is done with as a two-tier system is set to be introduced.
India will tour England for a five-match Test series later this year. (PTI Photo)
ICC chairman Jay Shah and England and Wales Cricket Boar (ECB) chairman Richard Thompson have reportedly held discussions to revamp the current Test cricket structure ahead of the next ICC World Test Championship cycle which begins five months’ time.
It’s likely that the WTC final between Australia and South Africa later this year in June will mark the end of current format and the Test cricket world could be split into tier-1 and tier-2 teams.
The two-tier structure is part of the plan to create “fairer competition” with the current system coming under fire for several inconsistencies.
“It is fully understood that the current structure does not work in the way it should and we need to find a fairer, better competition, but at this stage no recommendations have been put forward,” Thompson, who is also the head of ICC’s strategic growth committee, told The Telegraph.
“We have five months to work on this, step back and look at what the structure should be going forward. The World Test Championship should be fairer and more competitive. It is going to change to ensure it always encourages the best teams to reach the final and encourages other nations that want to play Test cricket, to play Test cricket,” he added.
The reasons cited to shun the current model include teams not playing every other nation within the two-year cycle and an excess of two-Test series skewing the WTC standings. South Africa reached the WTC final without playing Australia while India and Pakistan don’t play Test cricket as bilateral cricket ties between the two teams have been suspended for a long time due to diplomatic tensions.
“We will protect, grow and ensure the integrity of Test cricket because the format is crucial to the DNA of the game,” Thompson said.
Four-Day Tests?
As per the report, the top brass has discussed the possibility of four-day Tests to allow cricket boards to schedule three-Test series around franchise leagues. The four-day Tests though won’t be applicable for the marquee series such as the Ashes or matches between tier-one nations.
As part of the new system, the top-tier nations could end up playing each other more frequently.
Criticism Against New System
West Indies great Clive Lloyd predicted that the system will prove “disastrous for smaller teams”
“All these countries have worked very hard to get there. We have been in ICC for nearly 100 years. We’ve a great history and now you’re going to tell us, because of a monetary situation, this is how it’s going to be,” Llyod had said.
Sri Lanka legend Arjuna Ranatunga says the system will only benefit the three boards.
“Sport isn’t just about Pounds, Dollars and Rupees. Administrators must nurture and protect the game,” Ranatunga said.
