It was reported on Monday that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is ready to meet in New Zealand this week to discuss on the implementation of the much awaited World Test Championship.
The Test Championship
According to the sport’s governing body, Test championships will lead to a boost in the popularity of the five-day format as the Twenty20 version of the game attracts big flocks of crowds and television viewers.
However, the launch of a structured league had twice been obstructed due to disagreement over the disadvantages it may pose to several nations.
According to a report by Sydney Morning Herald, a nine-nation Test championship will soon be launched. An official announcement regarding it is expected to be made by the ICC on Friday at a meeting in Auckland.
It is said that the competition- a two-year cycle, would begin in 2019. The cycle shall then culminate into a final round between the top two teams at the Lord’s.
League Competition: A Broader International Context
According to the Cricket Australia Chief Executive, James Sutherland, the league competition would result in Test series with a broader international “context”, rather than a stand-alone bilateral contest.
“You’re also creating structure in such a way that you no longer have games without meaning. They are all part of a league championship,” he told the Herald.
What To Expect
Despite the purists’ view that Test cricket is the pinnacle of sport, it strives particularly in Asia due to the profitable T20 competitions such as the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League gaining the public’s attention.
In order to attract a greater amount of spectators for viewing the matches, a recent innovation to reverse the trend into a greater number of day-night Test matches has been made.
Despite what the traditionalists think, the idea of Four-day test matches has also been drifted.
The meeting in Auckland, will also look over a major transformation of one day international fixtures, as reported by the Herald.
It is said that the plan is to consider 13-nation ODIs, to be operated as a three-year cycle. The results would then have an impact on qualification for the World Cup.
The plan, if implemented, would limit the number of ODI matches in a series to three, putting an end to the lengthy five-match series that are currently part of the international fixture list.
