Ravi Shastri Advocates for a Two-Tier Test Cricket Structure
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New Delhi, Jan 1 (NationPress) Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of India, has advocated for the establishment of a two-tier system in Test cricket, asserting that this framework will be crucial for the preservation of the longer format.
Shastri made these remarks following the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia, which attracted 373,691 spectators over five days, setting a new record for attendance at a Test match in Australia. This figure surpassed the previous record of 350,534 set during the 1936/37 Ashes series against England at the same venue.
“To surpass crowd records that have stood for nearly a century... is a clear indication that when the elite teams compete, the most challenging and prestigious format of the game remains vibrant,” Shastri noted.
“This event serves as a strong reminder to the ICC (International Cricket Council) that the finest teams must face each other for Test cricket to thrive. I believe there's excessive clutter otherwise.”
“This match further highlights the necessity of a two-tier system featuring the top 6-8 teams, along with mechanisms for promotion and relegation. Such matchups are unlikely to attract large audiences without two competitive teams,” Shastri wrote in his column for The Australian on Wednesday.
In 2016, the ICC put forward a proposal for a two-tier Test system, but it was retracted during the chief executives' committee (CEC) meeting in Dubai in September 2016.
Shastri, who was part of India’s victorious 1983 ODI World Cup team, asserted that the exhilarating Test match in Melbourne demonstrated the necessity of maintaining five-day matches, especially amid ongoing discussions about shortening them to four days.
“The excitement observed on the final day (Monday) further substantiates the need for five days of play in a classic Test match. However, if a two-tier system is not established, we will continue to see mismatched teams competing, making it improbable for games to extend into a fifth day. This will perpetuate debates over four-day Tests,” he stated.
Australia triumphed in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground by 184 runs, leading the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series 2-1, with the fifth and final Test set to commence at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 3.
