Hardly had the mud settled on the Border-Gavaskar collection Down Underneath when a chunk of stories floated and created a flutter within the cricketing world. It has emerged that Australia, England, India, and the Worldwide Cricket Council’s new chair, Jay Shah, are in talks to separate Take a look at cricket into two divisions in order that the Massive Three can play one another extra typically in blockbuster collection.
In response to a report within the Australian newspaper The Age, Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and England Cricket Board boss Richard Thompson are set to satisfy later this month, with a two-tier construction for Take a look at cricket on the agenda.
The discussions round this idea have gained momentum as a result of 2024-25 BGT collection, comprising 5 Assessments, being the fourth-best attended collection in Australia, with report crowds in Melbourne and Sydney, alongside excessive TV viewership.
Nevertheless, in accordance with the report, any plan to maneuver to 2 divisions in Take a look at cricket would solely take impact after the present Future Excursions Programme concludes in 2027. That is additionally the 12 months when a 150th-anniversary Take a look at match between Australia and England is scheduled on the MCG.
As per the proposal, India, Australia, and England would now not be required to play all cricketing nations and will rejig their cycles to play one another twice each three years, reasonably than twice each 4 years as is at the moment the case. The ICC has remained silent when requested for a response.
Sarcastically, this improvement comes at a time when Australia is ready to play South Africa—typically excluded from the ‘Massive Three’ plans—within the World Take a look at Championship remaining at Lord’s in June.
The idea has its loyal supporters. Commentating on SEN Radio throughout the fifth Take a look at at Sydney, former India coach Ravi Shastri expressed concern over the crowded schedule, advocating for extra “finest versus the perfect” matches in Take a look at cricket. “I’ve all the time believed that if you would like Take a look at cricket to outlive and thrive, that is the way in which to go. The highest groups ought to play one another extra typically, making a contest,” Shastri stated.
The potential impression on the event—and even survival—of Take a look at cricket within the West Indies, as soon as a cricketing powerhouse, is troubling. Naturally, voices from the West Indies have expressed concern. “A two-tier system is smart, however house should be made for prime nations to tour these within the decrease bracket, or smaller nations will disappear,” warned West Indies fast-bowling legend Michael Holding in his column in The Telegraph.
Holding’s former captain Clive Lloyd additionally expressed his unease, believing that efforts ought to as an alternative concentrate on making certain struggling groups get extra alternatives to play in opposition to the highest sides.
“I believe will probably be horrible for all these nations who labored so exhausting to attain Take a look at standing. Now they’ll be relegated to enjoying amongst themselves within the decrease part. How will they attain the highest? (Solely) by enjoying in opposition to higher groups,” stated the 80-year-old throughout a web based media interplay.
“Truthfully, a two-tier system shouldn’t occur. It’s not ideally suited as a result of solely the highest three groups will earn extra income,” a former Indian cricketer of reputation instructed TOI, highlighting the transfer’s financial imbalance. “And when you’re speaking about high quality, it’s not as if India performed high-class cricket in Australia.
As an alternative of this, the ICC ought to assist smaller, weaker cricketing nations and concentrate on bettering their ability ranges. A correct WTC cycle, the place everybody performs everybody, could be a greater concept. On this WTC cycle, even Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had an opportunity of creating it to the ultimate at one stage. Nearly all of the groups had been profitable away from dwelling and beating one another,” he stated.
You will need to observe that 2024 was a 12 months of surprising leads to Take a look at cricket, making it an unusually thrilling interval for the red-ball format. This included West Indies gorgeous Australia in a pink-ball Take a look at on the Gabba in Brisbane and India’s 3-1 defeat within the BGT final week. On this context, many argue that the previous 12 months has seen the rebirth of Take a look at cricket.
“A few years again, in 2022, Bangladesh secured their maiden Take a look at win in New Zealand at Mount Maunganui. We have to make sure that Take a look at cricket stays alive and thrilling. Who says Take a look at cricket is dying? There are matches lasting the total 5 days too,” stated the cricketer.
Aside from the skewed income sharing, there may be additionally a sensible challenge with this idea. “I really feel that this concept could be good and possible if there have been 15 groups enjoying Take a look at cricket,” stated former India wicketkeeper and chief selector Kiran Extra. “In the intervening time, that isn’t the case. You simply have 9 to 10 nations enjoying the five-day sport. How a lot are you able to shuffle between so few groups in two tiers?” requested Extra.
Again dwelling, home cricket stalwarts noticed shades of the Ranji construction within the idea. “It’s an excellent concept. In the event you can have six prime cricketing nations in Tier 1 and 6 in Tier 2, it may work properly,” stated present UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput. “A lower-ranked group like Zimbabwe, for instance, would get hammered if it performed in opposition to India or Australia. After the top of a WTC cycle, the underside two within the prime six could possibly be relegated to the second tier, whereas the highest two could possibly be promoted for the following WTC cycle. This is able to imply that there could be one thing to play for in all of the WTC matches,” defined the previous India opener.
“Just like the Ranji Trophy, relegation and promotion would make issues extra thrilling. A two-tier system would make sure that the perfect groups get to play in opposition to one another extra typically, resulting in wholesome competitors. The lower-ranked groups would have the motivation to carry out properly, beat the highest sides, and transfer as much as Tier 1, whereas Tier 1 groups would try to take care of their place,” he stated. “Presently, West Indies, and to an extent even Sri Lanka, don’t have robust Take a look at groups, which signifies that the highest sides look to safe massive wins in opposition to them to build up factors for WTC remaining qualification,” added Rajput.
Since its inception in 2019, the success of the WTC has proven that change in Take a look at cricket isn’t all the time detrimental. With broadcasters longing for extra matches involving India, England, and Australia, the ICC, beneath its new chair Jay Shah, supported by England and Australia, will undoubtedly think twice concerning the two-tier idea.
In a possible win-win, may this additionally release house for a second IPL within the September-October window—a profitable prospect the BCCI has lengthy been eager on? Watch this house!
