The International Cricket Council has been forced to shelve plans for the creation of a two-division Test championship following opposition from Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and, most significantly, India.
Dave Richardson, the ICC chief executive, had been behind a proposal that would have seen promotion and relegation between a seven-team top division and second tier of five – the latter including two new Test nations – that would have been played over a two-year period and possibly featured a Lord’s final.
Richardson had seen the league structure adding “meaning and context” to bilateral cricket, while making Test status attainable for those countries currently faced with a glass ceiling through possible movement between the bottom division and the ICC’s World Cricket League, its first-class competition for associate nations.
While the boards of England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan were all understood to have been in support of the plan, pressure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India has seen it withdrawn from the agenda during an ICC ‘workshop’ in Dubai this week that has been discussing future structures.
The BCCI opposed the system due to a belief that it would have been detrimental to sides outside of the top division, with its president, Anurag Thakur, telling the Press Trust of India: “We want to grow the game and take it to new pastures and will not allow any step which can shrink the popularity and development of the game.
“I am thankful to the members of the ICC who understood our viewpoint and agreed to take this proposal off the table. As one of the key stakeholders in world cricket, BCCI would continue to have an inclusive approach and ensure that everyone’s interest and the growth of cricket isn’t compromised,”
In a watered-down compromise, the ICC members have agreed to consider the creation of a biennial Test Championship play-off between the two leading sides, however, while league structures for one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals will also continue be discussed.
Richardson, in a vague ICC statement that made no reference to the two division proposal, said: “Encouragingly, there is an appetite from the 10 full members for more context around all three formats of the game and we have consensus on a range of areas.
“This includes the details of ODI and T20 structures and principles around Test cricket schedules, which include the concept of a Test Champion play-off every two years, and the opportunity for more nations to be involved.
“There are some complexities, not least because of scheduling and existing structures, but we envisage the changes being implemented for 2019.
“Members will now revert to their boards to share the details of the proposed revised structures and principles. Work will continue to develop a clear structure and position for each format over the coming months as the ICC collectively focuses on improving cricket for fans and players in the long run.”
