Australia, England, and India Engage with ICC for a Two-Tier Test Cricket Framework: Report
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New Delhi, Jan 6 (NationPress) Australia, who recently triumphed in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on their home ground with a score of 3-1, is reportedly engaged in discussions with India, England, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to implement a two-tier Test cricket system. This initiative aims to increase the frequency of matches among the top three cricketing nations.
As per a report from The Sydney Morning Herald, ICC Chairman Jay Shah, Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird, and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Richard Thompson are scheduled to convene later this month, with the two-tier framework for Test cricket prominently featured on their agenda.
“The momentum for these discussions has been fueled by the substantial turnouts and viewing figures for Australia’s five matches against India over the last two months, marking it as the fourth-best attended series in this country and reportedly the most-watched Test series ever conducted.
“Should there be a transition to two divisions in Test cricket, it is expected to take effect post the conclusion of the existing Future Tours Program in 2027. This year will also witness a significant milestone with a 150th anniversary Test match between Australia and England at the MCG,” the report stated.
It further indicated that if the two-tier Test framework comes to fruition, Australia, England, and India would not be obliged to play Test matches against numerous other nations, allowing these three countries to compete against each other twice within a three-year period, instead of the current four-year cycle.
Interestingly, the idea of a two-tier system in Test cricket was first introduced in an ICC Board meeting back in 2016, proposing that seven nations would participate in the first division, while the remaining five would compete in the second division.
However, this proposal was abandoned in 2016 due to opposition from the BCCI, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), and Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).
The report also notes that if the two-tier system receives approval, it would usher in a transformative era in cricket, with the World Test Championship potentially running for just one more cycle, despite having added greater significance to the longer format of the game since its inception in 2019.
