Cricket Australia (CA) is planning to advocate for a minimum of three matches in each World Test Championship (WTC) series in an effort to elevate the stature of the Test cricket format.”
Concerns regarding the format’s survival are mounting as a result of South Africa’s decision to field a significantly depleted squad in their series against New Zealand.
Chief Executive Nick Hockley of CA recognized that the state of the industry has sparked concerns and referred to it as a “wake-up call.” Hockley is hopeful that Test cricket may find equilibrium and continue to be vibrant outside of the three superpowers of Australia, England, and India, despite the obstacles.
As of right now, only two matches are needed for a series to qualify under WTC rules. The current series between South Africa and India might finish at some point. The West Indies will play Australia in a two-match series.
A three-test series at the very least is preferred. We will thus continue to support and encourage that. “I firmly believe that further work needs to be done on the Future Tours Programme (FTP), primarily focused on solidifying the World Test Championship and promoting a minimum of three Test series,” Hockley stated to SEN.
In order to guarantee that every nation gives priority to international cricket, especially Test cricket, Hockley emphasized the necessity of minimizing overlap with domestic T20 competitions.
“And then, as best as we possibly can, making sure that [when it comes to] domestic T20 competitions, we minimise the overlap for those countries where it is an important source of revenue, so that every country is prioritising international, and particularly Test, cricket,” he stated.
For everyone, that has served as a wake-up call. Nick Hockley
Hockley acknowledged the difficulties presented by T20 leagues and Test cricket happening at the same time.
“Everyone has been awakened by that. It is impossible to undervalue the contribution that T20 makes to introducing young people and adults to the game. The idea is that the two are compatible. The schedule was not ideal. Given how long the Big Bash has been going on, I think Australia has always given international cricket a higher priority. But this has made a difference. And to ensure that these kinds of conflicts don’t arise, we’ll be collaborating with the ICC through scheduling groups. We also strongly believe that people should give international cricket first priority.”
Hockley is optimistic that countries outside of the cricketing superpowers are dedicated to the continuation of the format, even in light of the financial difficulties that Test cricket faces.
The economics present a problem. While the revenue from a test, an ODI, and a T20 is comparable in some regions of the world, the expenses associated with holding a test are much higher. As we’ve seen in Australia over the past few years, as well as this summer and over the English summer in the UK, Test cricket is truly flourishing in some countries. That makes it somewhat of a two-speed economy. The difficulty is in our continued assistance to those nations that are having slightly more difficulty in Test cricket,” he said.
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