The Cricket Australia chief, Todd Greenberg, has suggested that forcing other nations to play test cricket could be a financial loss for certain nations, and reckons that scarcity in Test cricket could be more of an asset.
He believes that making the game’s longest form will help retain its prestige in the modern era. Test Cricket has faced mounting pressure since the rise of T20 leagues and internationals with many struggling to find ways to restore its former glory.
While matches between top nations remain competitive and entertaining, while smaller cricket board often lacks resources to sustain the demands of the five-day game.
After replacing Nick Hockley as CEO in March, Todd Greenberg cautioned that forcing all countries to play test cricket could push some into severe financial trouble.
“I don’t think everyone in world cricket needs to aspire to play Test cricket, and that might be OK,” he told Reuters. “We’re literally trying to send countries bankrupt if we force them to try to play Test cricket.”
Earlier this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) formed a eight member group to assess the feasibility of two-tier World Test Championship. Led by newly appointed ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, the group was established during the ICC’s annual meeting in Singapore.
“Scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe,” he said. “We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something and has jeopardy,” said Todd Greenberg.
He also expressed support for a two-tier system, which would see nations grouped by performance to ensure competitive balance. However, the proposal has faced opposition from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which fears missing out on lucrative fixtures against India and Australia.
“We wouldn’t want, as England, if we go through a fallow period, to fall into Division Two and not play Australia or India. That simply couldn’t happen. Common sense needs to prevail,” he said.
With cricket’s global calendar increasingly dominated by the shorter formats, the debate over how to protect and sustain Test cricket is set to remain one of the sport’s most pressing challenges.
